A Year to Return
by Piggwidgeon
Summary: Written for Violet-Phoenix-Rose’s Calendar Challenge I think I got that right . It follows Molly as she tries to reassert herself into her family after 10 years of gallivanting around the world. Molly/Lorcan nextgen
1. January 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Potter Property

AN: This is done for Violet-Pheonix-Rose's Calendar Challenge. And I think it got out of hand. I wanted to post all of January as one chap, but I think it's a wee bit too long for that, so I split it up. My apologies. Also, I'm not sure about the quality, so, no guarantees about that one. Um…oh, yes. The prompt for January was: new, "I'm used to being lonely. It's the only thing I can rely on these days." And so we begin…

January 1

"She'd been gone for ten years. Ten. When she didn't come back after the summer when she said she'd come back, mum went over the deep end. She threatened to hunt her down and drag her back. Dad convinced her not to. She kept writing, though. For a while. Within six months, though, she stopped. It was like she died. The house was somber, quiet, eery. No one would go into her room. No one would talk about her. I hardly dared to think of her. We went on with our lives -- Vicky finally married someone, Rose got hitched, and even Albus found a woman. Most of us are engaged, now, or in a serious relationship. We're just waiting on Hugo, now. It seemed like we could almost live without her smiling face, buoyant personality, and ridiculously erratic behavior. Mum had stopped sobbing during holidays. Dad went into her room to borrow a book. I met Josh. All of it without her.

"And then she came back. Randomly, without warning, after removing herself. And she looked terrible, like she had been through the ringer more than once. And everything came rushing back. The broken promises to write and visit, the monumental occurrences she chose to miss, the people in our lives she no longer knows. I hate her for that. She doesn't belong anymore. She chose not to belong, so what is she doing here, pretending like she belongs?"

--Lucy Weasley

3

"I'm done, Lysander," Molly said, sitting down in the back of the van between the Scamander and Cory.

"Done with what?" Lysander asked, fishing through his knapsack for something.

"I'm done with this." She looked out the window at the passing country. "I'm done travelling around the world. I'm done pretending to be someone I'm not. I'm done acting."

"How can you be done acting?" Cory asked, the twenty-six year old still looking like a fifth year.

"I'm…I'm not having fun anymore," she said softly, her eyes watching the snow beginning to softly fall on the ground around them. "I'm not enjoying this. It feels like work. And if I'm going to have a job, I don't want to have to worry about travelling all over the world and wondering when my next meal will be and trying to keep away from the bars in Italy."

"Hey, it isn't your fault they think you're gorgeous," Lysander said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Lysander," she said, her voice low and threatening. "I'm done."

"Molly, you're set to play Juliet in our next production…you can't just get up and…"

"Well, I am."

"But..."

"I need something new, Lysander. I've been here for too long. It was only supposed to be a summer job and we both know it. I need to get on with my life."

Lysander sighed and pulled out a wig from his bag -- a white powdered one he used to play King Henry.

"Nothing I can change will make you change your mind, will it, Weasley?" he asked, looking over at her with a despondent look in his eye.

"I'm sorry, Lysander. I have to go."

"Ok."

"The next bar we're throwing you a party, though," Cory promised, grinning broadly.

Molly shook her head and gave him a slight grin; Cory would do anything to get a good bottle of firewhiskey down the hatch.

3

"Bloody hell," Molly muttered, standing up and tripping over something left on the floor. She scuffed her knees on the floor. Damn it. Why did she always have to share a room with Lysander and Cory? They always, without fail, left their stuff strewn across the floor. She was done with it. Obsessive neatness was perhaps the only attribute she had inherited from her parents. And it certainly it didn't help that she was rather cranky at the moment.

"Damn firewhiskey," she grumbled, pulling herself onto her hands and knees. "I need get out of this hell hole."

She pulled on a pair of jeans over a pair of boxers she had picked up in Prague from some guy with a mustache -- the only time she had broken her rule about sleeping with a guy with facial hair. Her head throbbed against the memory. He hadn't been worth breaking her rule.

She hadn't slept with a guy since they had returned to England. At least, she thought she hadn't. Last night was still quite a blur. How Cory managed to get his hands on so much muggle whiskey was still a mystery. She threw on a jacket over her tank top and shouldered her bag. A part of her wished the other two would wake the fuck up so she could say goodbye. The other part wished they'd stay asleep. She knew the latter wish would come true; both of them had been twice as drunk as she had been and even if they were awake, they would be no company.

"Bye, guys," she muttered to herself as she quietly closed the door behind her. "It's been a good run, but everything good has to come to an end eventually."

Alone, she walked down the hallway and waited on the corner for the Knight Bus. For the first time in a long time, she thought of him. Of his stubble, his short hair, his clear blue eyes, his square glasses, his dirty fingernails, his calloused hands. For the first time in a long time, the loneliness she felt was overwhelming. She was leaving behind everything she was comfortable with, everything she knew. From here on out, she was winging it. She pressed her lips together. She had no one to rely on, no one to depend on. It was just her. She shivered against the cold. She really should have put on a sweatshirt, too. Home…her parent's house…was going to be freezing. The Knight Bus rattled around the corner, making the usual noises and emerging out of ostensibly no where. Molly got her money ready and bit back the tears beginning to prick her eyes.

3

The door was the same as it had been ten years ago when she left with the troupe. The windows were the same. The flowers were the same. The way the sun reflected off the roof at sunset was still the same. The finely manicured lawn was still the same. The wards around the house to prevent unwanted magic from being done were still the same. The grill out back was new, though, and so were the three cars in the driveway. Molly assumed the silver sedan was her mother's, the black Lexus her father's, and the little white one her sister's.

Molly pressed her lips together, trying to gather the courage to knock on the door, to step back into the role of obedient daughter she had abandoned ten years ago when she went away for a summer and never came back, to humble herself. She sat down on the front steps and inhaled deeply. Her head still throbbed with her hangover and she had run out of hangover potion on the bus. Snow fell lightly on the back of her neck, chilling her body. The wind beat against her thin jacket, making bumps raise on her skin. It was too cold to stay out here much longer.

She stood up and faced the black door. Her lips pressed together, she pressed the doorbell. She waited. Someone shuffled around inside, a few words were exchanged, and the door opened.

"Hello?" A young man asked, a young man she didn't know.

"Um…yeah…hi?" Molly said tentatively, beginning to shiver in the cold.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"Oh, um…sorry, I must have the wrong house," she said, beginning to turn away. "Do you know, by any chance, where the Weasleys moved to?"

"This is the Weasley house."

"Oh, then who are you? Are my parents on vacation or something?"

"No..."

"Josh, who is it?" Molly's heart skipped a beat at the sound of her sister's voice.

"I…I don't know. She just showed up and…"

Lucy squeezed by the young man and froze.

"Molly?"

"Hey, Luce," Molly said, scratching her head. "Long time no see."

"What are you doing here?" Lucy demanded, stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

"Can we do this inside? It's kind of cold…"

"No, we can't do this inside!" Lucy shouted. "Where have you been?"

"I told you -- I traveled with the troupe."

"For ten years? It was supposed to be a summer job!"

"I know, I know. It got out of hand. But I'm here, now."

"Honestly, Molls?" Lucy asked, crossing her arms. She looked so different -- so much more like their father, so much older, more mature.

"What do you want me to say? I'm done with it."

"Why? There's no reason for it."

"I…I just stopped…"

"Stopped what? Avoiding us?"

"I wasn't avoiding you."

"The last time you wrote was five years ago, and even then it was only to tell us you couldn't make it to Grandma Fischer's funeral."

Molly's eyes turned away from Lucy's cold brown eyes. She focused on the gnome fishing off the side of the porch.

"You need to leave," Lucy said.

The door opened behind Lucy.

"Molly," their father said. "Come inside before you catch a cold. Lucy, help your mother with the dishes. Joshua is waiting in the kitchen for you."

He turned on his heel and went into the house. Lucy shot Molly a glare and proceeded to enter the kitchen. Molly dropped her bag by the front door, sure that her mother would not want her to drag the dirty, abused canvas sack through the house. She kicked off her beat-up trainers and followed her father to his study in her holey socks. Her father shut the door.

"What took you so long?" he asked, sitting behind his desk. Molly sat down on the couch as gracefully as she could manage, trying to come up with a suitable answer.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I just ran with it until it wasn't working anymore."

"So you come groveling back here?"

"I'm not groveling, father."

Her father squeezed his eyes closed and took off his glasses, his usual pain when talking with his oldest daughter coming through. Over the course of ten years, they had talked in person three times. Once in Italy, once in France, and once in London. All of them had ended up with Molly trashed and waking up in an unfamiliar bed. Her father knew it, too.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I thought this was the logical place to come first."

"And the second?"

Her father rearranged some items on his desk.

"There is no second, is there?" He looked up at her with a condescending look in his eye. "I knew it. You never think things through, Molly. You never have. What you need is more discipline. Do you even have a plan?"

"Yes," she said firmly.

"And that would be…?"

"Get a job at the ministry…"

"On what credentials?"

Molly felt the red Weasley blush she managed to inherit burn her ears.

"My OWLs," she said, her voice smaller than she would have wanted it to be.

"They'll see ten years of running around doing nothing and put you in maintenance."

"We both know I have the second-best OWL scores."

"Fourth. Hugo and Lou also passed you."

"Good on them."

"You'd be better suited working for George."

"I'm not working at the joke shop."

Her father laughed.

"I'll find something, father. It isn't that big of a deal."

"Your sister is already head of the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, Molly. Hugo is ambassador to the United States. James, Fred, and Lou are all running their own joke shops. Victoire is the lead healer of the lycanthropy studies at St. Mungo's. Rose is assistant analyst to the Cannons. Albus is running a committee on the junior Wizengamot. Lily has been inducted into the Order of the Phoenix. Roxanne is running a beauty boutique. Flora is in her fourth year. Victoire, Rose, and Albus are married. Rose has three kids already. Victoire has two more. Dom, Fred, Lucy, and James are engaged. Hugo is dating. Roxanne is in a serious long-term relationship. Now, tell me, Molly, where do you fit into all of this?"

"What happened between Lily and Scorpius?" she asked, trying desperately to keep herself from going into a panic. All of this happened -- all of these accomplishments -- and she had missed all of them. And why? Because she had been wasting her life, her time, her money. Moments she will never get back. "I would have thought for sure they would have gotten back together."

"They never did," her father said stiffly.

"Hmmm…odd. Is that Josh kid who answered the door Lucy's fiancée?"

Molly struggled not to frown. She was talking differently. Fiancee? When did she ever say stuff like that? Where was the edgy language she had picked up in Paris? Is that her man? Isn't that what she would have said before she walked through the door of her parent's house? Isn't that who she was? Isn't that who she had become?

"Joshua's a nice boy," her father said. "He has a reliable job in your mother's SOCO office."

"He's a muggle?"

"You sound surprised."

"Well…it's just that Lucy was never really into muggle culture."

"She was never really interested in wizarding culture, either."

"That's true."

"She needs a minimally magic environment and Joshua is able to give it to her."

"Yeah…"

"So have you met anyone your trip?"

Molly glanced up at her father, his blue eyes matching hers.

"Is that what you're calling it? A 'trip'?"

"Is that a yes?"

"That's a no."

"Well, at least you had the wisdom to come with no strings attached," her father admitted, fiddling through his drawers. "Go take a shower. Throw on a load of laundry. No magic. Don't forget it. Your mother still hasn't warmed up to the idea of household magic."

"Fine."

"Your room is still the same, by the way. We haven't touched it," he said, standing up. "You'll find all your old clothes there, if they still fit."

"Thank you, father."

He nodded once, dismissing her, and she fetched her bag before slipping into the pristine bathroom.


	2. January 2

January 2

Molly flipped through _The Prophet_, her messy hair thrown in a loose bun and her shorts riding up her thigh. She adjusted the strap on her tank top and turned the page. Her mother walked into the kitchen, avoiding Molly's gaze like the plague, and went about her business. The clanging pots and pans told Molly her mother was cooking, as did the smell of bacon sizzling in the pan. Automatically, her mouth started to water. When was the last time she had a home cooked meal? Molly couldn't remember. Her stomach grumbled and she groaned, embarrassed.

"Are you hungry?" her mother asked in her usually light tone.

"Um…I'll just have some cereal later…"

"No you won't."

"Mum…"

"No objecting, Molly."

Molly sighed and flipped to the job section. There were very little listings, and most of them were in maintenance.

"Any luck?" her mother asked, putting a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Molly.

Molly's eyes widened at the food in front of her. Usually she had half that for a meal. Sometimes less if it was nearing the end of the pay quarter or the tickets weren't selling.

"That's a shitload of food," she muttered without thinking.

"Molly Belle!"

"Sorry, mum," she muttered, twirling a piece of bacon between her fingers. Her mother shook her head and sat down cradling a cup of coffee. "It's just…never mind."

Her mother took a sip of coffee.

"So any luck?"

"I'm not really sure what I want to do…"

"Mmm…"

"I think I'm going to try for retail, at least to start."

"Yeah?"

"It'll give me some references other than Helen, and I know she won't give me the best recommendation."

"Are you a bad employee?"

"She's a bad employer. Doesn't know a thing about anything. And she's usually drunk. It would ruin my credibility."

Her mother snorted and shook her head.

"I'm going to go start applying," Molly said.

"While you're out, Molly, buy yourself a new pair of shoes and new jacket, will you?" Her mother put a small money purse on the table.

"Mum…I can't…I have plenty in the bank to buy myself some new shoes…"

"Use that to buy yourself some decent clothes. There's a dinner at the Burrow on Sunday. It's Lou's twenty-fifth birthday and he's actually coming home for this one with his partner. The least you can do is look decent."

"And the last thing I want to do is shop for clothing," Molly muttered, clearing two-thirds off the uneaten food off her plate into the trash.

"No wonder why you're all bones," her mother said. "You hardly eat a thing!"

"I just don't eat as much as I used to," Molly said with a shrug, ducking into her bedroom.

She slipped her hand into her top drawer and pulled out a small pocketbook she hadn't used since she was in Hogwarts and filled it with miscellaneous items she was going to need -- a quill, jar of ink, wand, roll of parchment, a book on etiquette, change purse, and her three keys to the broomshed, her Gringott's vault, and her house. Holding the bit of newspaper in her hand with the jobs on it, she left the house, determined to return with a position.

3

"No."

"No."

"No."

"No."

No. Molly hung her head and sat down in the Leaky Cauldron, a shot of firewhiskey in front of her. Every single one. Turned down. No one would even give her a paper application. She stared at her beaten up trainers, remembering she had to go shopping, and groaned. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Molly?"

She looked up at the man sitting next to her, at his short blonde hair, his square glasses, his clear blue eyes, his calloused hands gripping the glass. For once, his fingernails were clean.

"Lorcan?"

He grinned his broad, strong, relaxed grin and nodded his head.

"What're you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you were still with the troupe."

"Yeah, well, I decided it was time to move on."

"I hear you, I just wish Lysander would come to the same conclusion. Rolf's been…off…since he left with you and Cory."

"He didn't leave with me. I left with him."

"Yeah, sure. Try explaining that one to Luna." He shook his head and took a sip of his pumpkin juice. "Hard liquor, Molly? Really?"

"Takes the sting away."

Lorcan laughed his deep laugh, the sound bringing back memories of the four of them -- Lorcan, Lysander, Cory, and Molly -- running around Hogwarts. And it brought back other memories, too -- memories of just two of them. Alone. She gave him a slight grin and downed another shot of whiskey.

"I never would have taken you for the whiskey type."

"Got it from my father," she said smoothly. "Terrible influence over me."

"I think you're more like him than you'd be willing to admit."

Molly shot him one of her infamous glares and started in on her massive hamburger.

"You want some of this?" she asked, offering him half of her burger and all of her potatoes.

"Seriously? You're only going to eat half a burger?"

"Look, Lorcan, I just spent ten years on unsteady pay. You think I ever ate more than half a burger for a meal? If I eat any more, I'd get sick. I don't need it. Especially when I'm taking it easy."

"Ahuh." He bit into the burger, downing almost half of it in one chomp. "So whatcha doin' for the rest o' the day?" He struggled to swallow.

"Shopping for new clothes," Molly grumbled. "I need to get something presentable for Lou's party. And you know how he is…"

"Do you need any help? I saw this adorable little dress in the window of Oz's."

"Um…well…"

"You should probably get a new jacket, too. This one can't be doing the job well."

"It's on my list."

"Do you have any dress shoes? Or just those ugly things?"

"Hey, now," she said, turning towards him. "I picked these up in Dublin. A drunkard bought them for me with his last galleon he was going to use for a few more bottles of firewhiskey. Saved that man a load of liver damage, these shoes did."

"Doesn't mean a thing."

"True." She snorted and finished off the whiskey.

"We'd better get going," he said, popping the last bit of potato in his mouth. "Knowing you, this is going to take all afternoon."

"Thanks, Lorcan," Molly sarcastically muttered.

"No problem m'lady."

3

"You really think _this_ dress is ok?" Molly looked at herself in the mirror, at the knee length three quarter sleeved gray dress with a simple black band around the waist.

"Come out here and I'll tell you," Lorcan said, no exasperation in his tone, only amusement.

She groaned and slipped from the dressing room.

"You need a smaller size," he said, disappearing onto the floor.

"Lorcan! Merlin's asscrack!"

A little kid looked at her, his eyes wide.

"I mean…um…Merlin's saggy left butt cheek? Oh, whatever, who am I trying to…"

"Put these on," Lorcan said, shoving a smaller dress and a black long-sleeved shrug in to her hands.

"Honestly, Lorcan? Honestly?"

"Yes, honestly. They're plain and simple. Be careful or I'll go get you some jewelry, too."

"Come on, Lorcan."

"Put on the dress, Molly. The sooner you do this, the sooner you get out of here."

Molly slipped on the clothes and stepped out of the dressing room.

"No, I don't have a boyfriend, ma'am," Lorcan said to an older woman standing in front of the mirrors.

"Well, I just have to introduce you to my son…"

"Uh…I'm not…"

"Hey babe," Molly said, wrapping her arm around Lorcan's waist. "What do you think of this? Is this good enough, or do you want something sexier?" She dropped her voice to a whisper just loud enough for the woman to hear. "I know how much you like the sexy outfits, honeydew."

"Maybe some earrings," he said, putting his face close to hers. "And a necklace." He touched her exposed collar bone tenderly, sending shivers down her spine.

"Yeah?" Her voice stuck in her throat.

She looked into his blue eyes, finding herself lost in their depth. Her heart beat painfully against her chest, a warmth settling into her stomach she had forced herself to forget, a longing on her lips she had desired to leave behind, her body shaking the with the effort not to close the gap between their mouths, between him and her. Like she had done so many times before. Like she wanted desperately to do again.

"You didn't have to do that," Lorcan breathed, his arms resting on her lower back not moving an inch.

"I know. You needed it, though."

He stared into her eyes, his lips slightly parted.

"We shouldn't do this," Lorcan whispered, his voice hoarse.

"We shouldn't do a lot of things."

"I feel like…I feel like nothing has changed between us…."

"Maybe nothing has."

"I've changed."

"So have I."

His breath brushed against her cheek, his hands tightening against her back. He let his forehead fall against hers.

"Why did you have to leave?" he whispered.

He pulled away, leaving her cold and alone.

"That looks good. These are your shoes and accessories." He put a bag in her hand. "Don't worry about paying me back. Consider it a homecoming gift. And you really do need to put on some weight. I'll be willing to bet you can see your ribs. Your grandmother is going to stuff you."

"Then maybe I should get the bigger…"

"No." He pulled out his wand and waved it at her. Her clothes were replaced by her ratty, torn, worn jeans and tank top. Her jacket was across his arm. "Let's go get you a new jacket; this thing is not suitable for the winter."

He started walking through the department store, a look of concentration on his face. Every now and then he would glance over his shoulder at Molly, just to make sure she was still there. Molly caught sight of some sweatshirts and instantly gravitated towards them. Manchester United. How could she say no?

"If you're getting one of those," Lorcan said, grabbing the smallest one off the rack, "you're going to want this one."

"It's too small."

"No it isn't."

"Lorcan!"

"Molly! Which one of us gets mistaken for a gay man? Oh, right. Me. You know what that means?"

"What, Lorcan?"

"It means I know what I'm doing in a store. Take the small one." He shoved it in her hands and made her walk in front of him. "You aren't getting anything else. Unless you want to try on jeans."

"Merlin, no!"

"Then go to the coats."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, trying to be playful, and directed her to the black pea coats. The contact lit a fire in Molly, stoking her passion for him again. She closed her eyes and tried to push it back, to damn it up in the corner of her soul and forget about it.

"Here we are," he said, grabbing a black pea coat off the rack. "Put it on. I want to see it on you."

"Lorcan! That's a guy's coat."

"Tell you what, kid," he said. "You look around. There isn't anything better. Trust me. I'll go get you a decent pair of tennis shoes."

"Merlin, this isn't going to end well," Molly muttered as she started poking around


	3. January 3

January 3

"Nice jacket, Molls," Lou said, wrapping his lanky arms around her.

"Err…thanks, Lou."

"And I like your shoes…" Another young man said, his thick French accent and dark hair setting him apart from Lou with his blonde cap and British accent.

"Oh, Molly, this is Pierre. Pierre, my cousin Molly."

"Why 'ave I not met her before, Louis?"

"Oh, she's been traveling around Europe with a band of thieves."

"We aren't thieves, Lou," Molly said, "We're thespians."

"Eh, what's the difference? Give me your coat so I can dispose of it for you."

Reluctantly, Molly unbuttoned her jacket. She hadn't even let her mother see her before they left. Lou helped her out of it, offering a sense of hospitality that no one else had.

"Thanks, Lou." She watched him go to the closet, still awed by how much of a man he had become. His shoulders had filled out and the fitted clothes he wore showed exactly how divine his form was. He dressed nicely, but wasn't nearly as flamboyant as Pierre.

"Merlin's asscrack!" a voice Molly hadn't heard in years shouted. "I _told_ you not to sit on top of me, Flick! My freakin' Hallows! Hey! Give that the fuck back!"

"Lily!" Grandma Weasley's aged voice rang through the Burrow.

"Flick!"

A ten year old girl, an exact replica of Lily at that age, sped by with something tucked under her arm, heading outside with the precious cargo.

"Felicity!" An older version of Lily sped by, her red hair tied back in a pony tail and her left arm in a sling. "Felicity!"

"Who was that?" Molly asked, looking at Lou.

"Felicity and Lily," Lou replied. "Their relationship is one of quite a bit of animosity."

"You can say that again," a ten year old boy said, sitting down at the kitchen table next to Pierre. "I don't think they ever stop!"

"And you are…"

"Geoff. Their brother."

"Aunt Gin had two other kids?"

"Unplanned and unexpected," Geoff said with a nod of his red head. "There is no doubt about that. Though, honestly, Lou, when is Rose getting here? I need to ask her a question about form. And Hugo. I need to know the state between the US and France."

Molly looked at the kid, wondering where he was getting these ideas from. The state of what? She hadn't a clue.

"Besides," Geoff continued, "Flick can't last that long against Lily. Though the duel between Flora and Lil should be interesting."

"Oh, oui," Pierre said. "Zhe auror and zhe aspiring duelist, no? Haha! Zhat is a good one, no?"

"Yes, it is," Lou said, grinning at his counterpart.

The door flung open and Rose ushered three little boys inside.

"Greg, can you make sure Quinn didn't soil his pants?"

"Um…yeah. C'mere, you rascal." Greg swept the kid up in his thick beater's arms, the little brunette squealing it delight as his dad held him upside down. "He's good."

"Alright, awesome. Come on, boys, take off your coats and give them to me and then go say hello to…"

Rose looked up and caught sight of Molly. Molly stared at her, wondering how in the world the ruthless Gryffindor became so nurturing.

"Joey," she said. "Take care of the coats and go say hello to Grams and Grandma."

"Kay," the oldest said, his blonde head running out of the room with all the coats and scarves.

"Are you really here?" Rose asked, wrapping her arms tightly around Molly.

"Yeah. I'm really here," Molly said.

"What…what prompted this…this return?" Molly felt a pang of guilt as she saw the tears beginning to glisten behind Rose's eyes.

"I'm not sure. It just…got old, I guess. I needed something new."

"Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry," Rose muttered, wiping her eyes. "I just…if any of my boys did to me what you did to your mother…they're going to be hunted down and killed."

"Don't mind her," Greg said, putting an arm around his wife, his dark hair wet from melting snow. "She's pregnant, but we haven't told anyone yet."

"Well go and tell them," Lou said, a huge grin on his face. "You guys are trying to outshine Grandma Weasley. I just know it! Hey, if you need babysitting over the course of the week, we'd be willing to watch the boys for a bit."

"Awesome," Greg said, "this one has a conference she has to go to but was going to blow off. Ha! Now you don't have an excuse, Rose. I have back-up."

"I still don't know," she said. "Three boys and Lou? No offense, but they aren't the easiest things to handle."

"I've watched 'em before. I know the drill. Wear 'play clothes' and expect to get dirty. No big deal. I love 'em regardless. Any chance to mess with their heads, really."

"If you make them Harpies fans…"

"Nah, I'll save that for your girl," he said, a broad grin on his face. "Which I know is what this one is."

"Pfft. Yeah right. Just like the last one?"

"I called Quinn a boy. I'm sorry, but I did. I haven't missed one, yet."

"Sure, sure, whatever, Lou."

"Ugh. Fine. I have to go into the sitting room, anyway. Come on, Pierre. You know how my grandmother can get…"

"That boy's going to die a painful death," Greg said, "if he ever converts my daughters to being Harpie Harlots."

"Hush, Greg!" Rose laughed, hitting him lightly on the arm. "And don't you dare let Aunt Gin hear you say that."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hey, Molly, have you told Lily you're back yet?"

"Um…no. She ran by chasing her clone, but…"

"Yeah, that'd be Flick. Quite a handful, that one. Nothing compared to Geoff. He's so mild-mannered, I have no idea where he gets it from. Kind of reminds me of Al a bit. Not much, mind you, but just enough. There must be a calm gene passed down with those eyes of his. Anyway, Flick and Lily won't be back for a while. They're usually good for an hour or so before Lily's had her fill of games and gets serious."

"I would have thought things would quiet down…"

"Ha! That's a good one…come on, you need to get introduced to everyone."

"Oh, Merlin."

"That's what you get for being gone for so long."

Rose led her into the sitting room where the whole crew was crowded. Many of the faces she recognized -- all the cousins, all of them grown up, Greg, her aunts and uncles. Many of them she didn't -- Flora's face had matured considerably and Molly never would have guessed it was her without the magenta hair, all the fiancées and spouses and children were strangers. She was home. It felt the same, smelt the same and looked the same, but it was an odd place between what it should be and what it was. The fact that every face was turned to her and was staring like she had three heads did not help the matter.

Flora, in particular, stared at her, probably trying to figure out who she was. Molly awkwardly stood there, taking it, wondering when she should say something and if so, what.

"Er…hey, everyone."

"Look who's back from the dead!" James cried out, standing up and smoothly crossing the room. He wrapped his arms around her to whisper in her ear, "You'd better start saying your prayers. When Lily figures out you're back, you're dead meat."

"Thanks for the warning, Jim. Its good to see you, too."

"Come on, come on, sit down," Uncle Harry, his hair beginning to gray, declared, waving her to sit down.

Tentatively, Molly sat on the available chair next to Flora, awkwardly fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. Flora was still staring at her.

"Molly, you're all skin and bones," her grandma said disapprovingly. "Did they starve you or something?"

"Well, we were traveling the continent without any reliable source of income, so…"

"Tsk. Hear, eat up." Her grandma waved her wand and a plate of sweets appeared in her lap.

"Grandma…"

"Not a word! Eat!"

"Flora, you want some?" she whispered to the fourteen year old next to her.

"How do you…wait…Molly?" Flora stood up, a bit of excitement in her eye. "Yes! Yes it is you!" Flora jumped on her, knocking over the plate of sweets and making the room chuckle in unison.

"It's…uh…good to see you too, Flora."

"When you first left," Vicky said, a three year old sitting on her lap. "The only thing she would ever talk about is when 'Molmols' was going to babysit again. You really had a way with her. Went through ten babysitters since trying to find one half as good as you were. Only glad this one can handle the other two."

Flora rolled her eyes and settled back down into her seat.

"Merlin, Flick!" they heard in the kitchen. "Won't you ever l-learn! Fuck that hurts!"

"Lily!" Aunt Ginny snapped.

"She pulled the stitches out of my bloody hand!"

"Oh, Merlin! You need to start acting like a member of the order, Lily! You aren't in Hogwarts anymore. You need to stop fooling around!" Victoire shouted back, handing the kid in her lap to a man presumably her father. "I'll be right out! Where did I put my…Adele, give me my wand, please." Victoire held her hand to the little girl on her father's lap. The father whispered something into the girl's ear and she produced Victoire's wand.

"No! It's fine, it's fine!" Lily growled, coming into the room with a dishtowel wrapped around her hand. "I have to go to St. Mungo's anyway…Flick may have…um…gotten into some trouble?"

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing technically. She had a run-in with a neighborhood kid and he magicked her unintentionally. She's got a pig-tail. I tried to fix it, but uh…Molly? Molly! Molly, what're you doing here? When did you…?" Her face turned from excitement to pissed off faster than a light changes from green to red. She walked up and slapped Molly upside the head. "Do you know what you did?"

"Left."

"Without any warning! And then you don't write? Come on! That's pathetic! Have some class."

"I'm back now, aren't I?"

Molly stared at Lily, at the scars visible on her collar bone exposed by her too-large sweatshirt, at the bags under her eyes, the bandage around her hand, the years etched firmly into her body and countenance.

"Yeah," Lily said, offering a grin. "I guess you are. Lunch tomorrow? I'm on leave because of, well, this ridiculous thing, you know. So, if you want…"

"Sure."

"Awesome."

"Is it time for Louis to open 'is presents?" Pierre asked, looking around the room with a boyish gleam in his eye.

"Oh, Merlin, here we go again," Lou muttered as Pierre put the first present in his hands.

3

"Manchester? Really, Molls?" Lily said, laughing as she wrapped her arms around her cousin. "Not much really has changed with you, has it?"

"Slept with a few more guys, drank a few more bottles of whiskey, and listened to a few more football games," Molly said, grinning. "Unlike someone…"

"Hey, look. It isn't my fault I found something I'm good at."

"More like something you're trying to forget," Molly dared to say.

Lily's face fell for a moment and paled a few shades. Her mouth twitched into an uncomfortable grin and sat down.

"If you weren't my cousin, Molly…"

"You'd have my head faster than Scorpius stole your heart."

"I don't like talking about that boy."

"I think he's a man, now, Lily."

Lily shot her a dubious glare.

"Alright, alright," Molly said, putting a hand for truce. "I get it. No talking of former relations."

"So how's Lorcan doing?" Lily asked, a Slytherin grin on her face.

"My, my, my -- still passive aggressive, are we?" Molly asked, looking at the menu of the Leaky Cauldron that was completely changed from the one ten years ago. "He's doing fine, I think. I'm not sure what exactly he's doing. I don't think it's field work. Maybe classifying? I don't know."

"Is there potential there?"

Molly shrugged.

"What's the giant squid special?" she asked, pushing away Lily's smirking face.

"You don't want to know. Get the salad. It's actually really good."

"What're you getting?"

"Hippogriff steak. Healer says I need more protein to heal this up." She waved her bandaged hand. "Or something like that. I can never keep what they say straight."

"Have you had to see a lot of healers over the years?"

"I don't want to talk about that, either," Lily said quickly, her voice taut. She took a sip of her water and closed her menu. "The biggest thing you missed, though, was Lou coming out of the closet."

"We always knew he would."

"Yeah, but the fallout was much worse than we imagined it would be. I mean, I honestly didn't expect Uncle Bill to be so…I don't know. Awkward about it. It was actually pretty bad. The kid lived with me for a few years before Uncle George sent him to France to open up a new international branch of the joke shop. I feel bad for him. Grandma is still…uncomfortable with it, but Pierre is willing to obey her groundrules."

"Which are?"

"I don't even know. Mum says Grandma took the two of them out for lunch one day and they all came back on good terms, so…whatever it is they're doing, it's probably working."

"Yeah. What about all the marriages?"

"Ha! The marriages? Honestly? Vicky and Al both married at the Burrow, and Rose and Greg had a muggle wedding and a wizarding reception. Greg's parents are muggles, you see. They were in this gorgeous church in the middle of London. They have some wonderful pictures. I was kind of afraid mum was going to have a cow before Al's wedding. She was so anxious, and James, of course, got all jealous that Al was the first and not him. For weeks -- weeks -- it was hell in the Burrow."

"Where did Vicky meet…um…?"

"Raul? Italy on a trip for work. He's a healer, too, working on lycanthropy, though he's more focused on curing the incurable while she's working on prevention. So…yeah…he transferred to St. Mungo's, they got married, and a year later they had Rafaelle, the older boy, and that was that."

"How'd Flora take it?"

Lily grinned and took a sip of her water.

"Flora? Honestly? Terribly. She took to Raul instantly, but she still hasn't fully warmed up to Rafaelle and Adele."

"And what about Albus? Who did he find to marry?"

"A secretary to the minister, actually. Your father gave his instant approval, but it took mum quite a while to warm up to her. Didn't like the way she held herself or something ridiculous like that. Dad said it was like when Grandma first met Aunt Fleur. It made me laugh, to be sure."

"And Rose's kids?"

"They're really wonderful boys. And Rose and Greg both have a lot of time for them because their quidditch schedules are really flexible. Greg's usually away in the afternoons until around six and Rose works mornings three days a week and on Saturday. They all go the games together. I think Quinn and Adam always go with Rose, but Joey gets to pick. From what I hear, the kid's turning into quite the Tornadoes fan."

"Have you ever thought of having children?" Molly questioned, wondering where precisely her cousin stood on the spectrum of relationships.

"Yes. However, they are not conducive to my job. My job is my life."

"But doesn't that get lonely?"

Lily looked at Molly with her clear eyes glistening with a sort of knowledge and wisdom Molly wouldn't expect from her.

"I'm used to being lonely," Lily said, her eyes unmoving, emotionless. "It's the only thing I can rely on these days. Or ever, really. When you're out on a mission, and all your teammates are back at base, and you're charged to find the hideaway, it's just you and your wand. That's all. And that's when you feel the most lonely, when faced with a deatheater with his mask. But you need that loneliness, that disconnect from the world, to do your job without any restrictions. No strings attached. Strings complicate things, cloud your judgment. No. A good auror needs to be lonely, to rely on it. It's a price that has to be paid."

"That sounds like a terrible life," Molly muttered.

"Not everyone is suited for it."

"I'm not sure you're suited for it."

"I've been doing it for ten years, Molls. I think I am."

"I still think you need a boyfriend."

"I don't need a boyfriend. You're the one that needs a boyfriend. I hear Lorcan just broke up with his girlfriend of two years the other day. You might have a chance."

"I'm not a rebound girl."

"No, his former girlfriend was. He's still gaga over you, you know."

"Just like you and Scorpius?"

Lily's face flushed bright red, her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed together.

"Not much has changed with me," Lily said. "Except for the fact that now I can kill a man without anyone around me realizing it."

Molly laughed, not for a second doubting.

"Sounds like Scorpius is on your list, then," Molly said.

"You're forgetting I'm a Slytherin, Molly," Lily said in low tones. "Slytherins don't forgive easily. And they certainly never forget."

"Then he is on your list."

"On what list? Of people never to talk to again? Hell yes. To kill? Unless he's busted for illegal possession of dark arts materials, then he's off limits. I'm waiting for the day, though. Malfoys aren't notorious for keeping their magic pure." Lily took a sip of her water. "On another note, how's work coming?"

"Eh. It's not." Molly stirred the ice in her Coke with a blue straw. "No one wants me."

"Have you shown them your OWL scores?"

"Well, yeah, but it doesn't seem to matter. All they see is ten years as a low-level thespian and it's all over. My dad was right…I've wasted too much time. I'm not going to get a position."

"Where have you looked?"

"Diagon Alley, mostly. But I inquired about some Hogsmeade positions and one in the Hollow. Most of them have already fallen through and a lot of them are going to."

"How can you tell?"

"How can I _not_ tell?" Molly let her head fall against the table. "I don't even know what I _want_ to do."

"What about working with kids? You seemed to get along with both Rafaelle and Adele at Lou's party. And they aren't easy kids to get along with."

"What's wrong with 'em? Give 'em a sugar quill and they're all yours."

"See? That's not it. I've given them more bribes than anyone and they still hate me."

"It's because you're a Slytherin and they can tell. Kids usually don't like conniving. They like honest. A good Hufflepuff or Gryffindor'll do."

"Yeah. No. You should see Lucy trying to get along with them. Not good."

"That's because she's too uptight."

"Just think about it, ok? I know you like working with kids, it's a matter of fact at this point. And if you don't want to work at the joke shop, then I suggest you work on this. I hear a wizarding daycare is trying to open up in the Hollow, but they need more…erm…facilitators? Is that what they're called? I don't know. You know what I'm saying."

"I don't know."

"You aren't going to find anything else. At least not with your experience."

Molly groaned and played with her straw. Lily grinned.

"Here comes our food," Lily muttered.


	4. January 4

January 4

Molly squinted in the sunlight streaming through her window. She glanced at her clock. Ten? Ugh. It was too early to get up. She rolled over and planted her face in the cold fabric of the pillow. Just a few more minutes. Or hours.

"Molly!" Her mum banged on her door. "Molly, wake up. Lou is here to see you."

"It's alright, Oddie. I'll get her up," Lou said.

The door knob turned.

"I'm not wearing any pants," Molly groaned, turning to look at her cousin hurry into the room.

"I need your help," he said, his face red. "And quick. I left Pierre at Rose's, but…well…I don't think he can handle them for long. He isn't exactly child-friendly."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Molly, please?" He knelt by her bed. "Pretty please?" He clasped his hands. "Oh, come on. You know you want to."

"Go make me some tea. I'll be there in half an hour," she grumbled, throwing the blankets off her.

"Thank you!" Louis jumped on her, wrapping his arms around her half-naked body. "You've been to Rose's right?"

"I'll floo."

"Thank you!" He kissed her on the cheek. "And please hurry. I don't think we can hold them off for much longer."

Molly pushed him out of her room and threw on ratty jeans and her Manchester United sweatshirt.

3

When she walked out of the fireplace, Molly was awed by Rose's house. She was greeted by a huge, open room divided in half by pillars holding up the double-high ceiling split into four distinct areas. In front of her -- the fireplace -- was the dining area, to her right the kitchen, beyond the dining room a table stacked with a mess of papers and an owl cage, and in the last corner a television and couches. The far wall had a few doors and continued to a hallway, a loft over it clearly a dedicated library. She chuckled at the sight; both of them in the quidditch industry, but both still holding onto knowledge. She wouldn't expect anything less of Greg, born and bred Ravenclaw.

"Louis!" she shouted, alarmed at how well her voice carried through the house.

Tentatively, she walked through the kitchen, marveling at the top of the line appliances and granite countertops. She supposed that's what you get working for two of the longest lived quidditch franchises.

"Louis, where are you?"

She walked down the hallway slowly, admiring the landscaping of the front lawn out of the windows.

"In the…owe, Adam, stop that!"

"Where?"

"Tower!"

"Tower?"

"Down the hallway!"

"Hallway?"

"Pierre…not in front of…dammit."

Tentatively, Molly walked forward and through an arched passage into a circular room with a wrought iron spiral staircase in the middle. It seemed to drill up through a tall tower. She started climbing, her hand resting on the cold metal, her mind going back in time to her days at Hogwarts when she and Lorcan would climb an eerily similar staircase to get to a hidden ledge outside the Prefect's dormitory in the Gryffindor Tower. She opened the first door she came to, next to a family portrait taken a few years back.

Pierre and Louis were both tied to chairs, Joey waving around a wand he had taken from one of them, Adam sitting on Pierre's lap playing with his face, and Quinn sitting docilely in the corner playing with a toy quidditch set that had parts too small for him to be using.

"Why did Rose agree to let you guys babysit?" Molly asked, snatching the wand out of Joseph's hand.

"Hey!" Joey said, reaching up to snatch it back. "I was using that!"

"And how old are you? Oh yeah, seven. You have about ten more years to go before you can use magic here." She flicked the wand in the direction of Quinn, who was about to bring a small quidditch broom to his mouth, sending the set flying to a high shelf on the opposite side of the room. Quinn started crying.

"Oi, kid," Molly said sharply. "What would your father say if he saw you playing with them? I'd be willing to bet he'd take 'em away, too. And you, young man, get off of Pierre unless you want a beating."

Adam looked flabbergasted as he slid off Pierre, his face white.

"Joey, untie Pierre. Quin. Calm down, will you? As soon as you guys untie the frenchies, we'll do something fun."

"Who _are_ you?" Adam asked.

"Marry freaking Poppins, now untie them."

"Well, Miss Poppins," Joey said. "I don't think we should listen to you. You don't seem like a very nice lady."

Molly stared at him for a few seconds.

"Do you even know who Marry Poppins is?"

"Evidently a mean lady," Adam said, crossing his arms.

"We like Lou and Peepee," Quinn said, indignant.

"Peepee? Well, let me tell you. Peepee and Lou don't really like you that much."

"That's not true," Louis said, abashed.

"No, it is not," Peepee added.

"If they did, they would not let you get away with this."

"You lie!" Quin said.

"Alright, how about we all go outside and play a game," Molly said, clapping her hands together excitedly.

The boys exchanged glances.

"Ok," Joey said with a shrug.

"We just have to make sure you all put on your jackets, you know," Molly continued. "And when we come back, I'll make hot chocolate and we can watch a movie."

"What's a movie?" Adam asked, his little face scrunched in confusion.

Molly groaned. Wizarding kids. So inept to muggle technology.

"Lou, can you go to my room and get Marry Poppins and my DVD player?"

"Your what?" Lou said.

"Ask my mum for the movie stuff. She should just give you Mary Poppins. She knows that's my favorite."

"Um…Ok. Can you untie me, though?"

3

The first thing Rose did when she entered her house was to throw her jacket on the activity table. The second thing she did was grab the carton of chocolate ice cream out of the freezer and a bowl. And a spoon. She heard the tv on across the room. Were the boys still up? She glanced at her watch. It was nearly 9:30. They should have gone to bed hours ago…

She walked into the sitting area, the bowl of ice cream in her hand and paused for a second, taking in the scene. Adam, Quinn, and Joey were all sleeping peacefully on the couch against the far wall. Louis was sitting in the one closest to the kitchen, his own eyes closed, with Pierre's head in his lap. She clenched her jaw. They _promised_ her they wouldn't fall asleep again. And they hadn't put the kids in bed on time! She took a deep breath, trying not to get _too_ angry with them.

The bathroom toilet flushed.

Who the fuck could that be? She shook her head and put her bowl down on the end table before angrily shaking Louis.

"Louis," she hissed. "Louis!"

"Err…I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Rose stood up and turned around, faced with Molly picking Quinn up. What was she doing here?

"They had quite the day," Molly said. "I'm just gonna put these guys in their beds and then I'll fill you in."

"Uh…yeah…" Rose wasn't quite sure what to say. Instead of saying anything, she woke up Joey and got him in his bed while Molly took care of Adam.

"So what happened?" Rose asked. "And what is this?"

"Oh…um…Finding Nemo. They didn't like Mary Poppins all that much."

"Ahuh."

"It's a muggle movie. They seemed to like it until they passed out."

"Which was when? Usually they're getting ready to go to bed at seven…"

"Well, Quinn passed out shortly after seven, Adam was out by half past, and Joey managed to make it until eight thirty. I was just waiting for the movie to be over to put 'em to bed."

Rose stared at her, speechless for a moment.

"How did you get them to go to bed while watching TV?" Rose ventured.

"Tired 'em out, I guess. I mean, they had a pretty busy morning tying up Pierre and Louis like they did, and then I just brought them outside and ran them around the yard a few hundred times, and then by the time dinner was over, they were wiped out." Molly shrugged and straightened the throw on the back of one of the couches.

Rose groaned and sat down in one of the chairs.

"They really tied them up? I was afraid of that. Joey's been going through a cowboy phase. He loves to tie things up -- Adam, cats, Greg…Louis and Pierre didn't stand a chance."

"It doesn't help they're softer than a kitten."

Rose reached into her pocket and pulled a money purse and tossed it to Molly.

"What's this?"

"Payment. It was supposed to go to Lou, but it seems as if he was useless."

"That's not…"

"You wasted a day here, it's the least I can do."

"I didn't waste.."

"Oh just shove it, will you? I just spent all day arguing with the manager of the Cannons for a pay raise that he isn't going to give me the next time my contract is up. I think I'm going to end up with the Tornadoes next season."

"That's bad?"

"No, not really. It'd double my pay. But, I mean, the Cannons are my team. They always have been. And Greg and I would be on the same schedule. In fact, I'd be working more than I am now. And with a baby on the way…it's just a lot to think about. And I'm exhausted. And Greg thinks we should get a house elf."

"You don't want a house elf?"

"My mum'll be pissed. And…I don't know. Just that I'm considering it makes me feel incompetent. And I know Joey will abuse the poor thing."

Molly picked up some of the dishes littering the coffee table.

"Why don't you go to bed while I finish up here?" Molly asked.

"No. I need to wait for Greg."

"When's he coming back?"

"I don't know. He had a game in Italy today. Midnight? One?" Rose yawned, unable to hold it in.

"I'm probably going to be here that late cleaning, anyway. Why don't you go to bed and I'll just tell him to wake you up?"

"No, no, no." Rose shook her head. "You need to get out of here. You have something to do on a Saturday night."

"Nope. Go to bed. Relax. I've got it under control."

Rose ignored her and picked up the remote, changing the channel to wizarding news. Quidditch. Discussing the future of the best up and coming analyst -- Rose Daniels -- and what, exactly, she's going to do next season.

"This is ridiculous," Rose muttered. "I can't believe they still doubt whether or not I'll come back next season, pregnant. I've done it three times before and _still_ they think I'm going to stay home. Ridiculous. I can't stay home. I tried it once with Joey and ended up going back to the team. Nope. I can't stay away from quidditch."

Molly grinned to herself and started scrubbing dishes.

"What're you doing?" Rose asked sharply.

"What do you mean?" Molly squirted more soap on the sponge.

"Why aren't you using magic? It'd go much faster, you know."

Molly's ears burned with embarrassment, her hand stopping their motions. Right. Magic. For household chores.

"I…don't know how," she admitted slowly, beginning to scrub again.

"Oh, right…sorry I forgot…Do you want to learn it?"

"Um…no, that's alright. I don't mind."

"Er…ok…"


	5. February 1

Disclaimer: I do not own potter properties.

AN: The prompt for February is -- heart; "I don't want to be your whole life – just your favorite part."

February

"Molly. Just thinking about her makes my head pound and my palms sweat. I've been through my fair share of girls, but Molly…no one stacks up to her. I keep thinking about what our life could be right now, how we could be living, how happy we could be, if she hadn't run off. I don't even know why she ran off. Well, no. I do know. And I still would have loved her. I still kind of do."

--Lorcan

3

"Have you seen a doctor when you were traveling?" Molly's mum asked at breakfast, looking up from her muggle newspaper.

Molly closed her eyes, desperately hoping she could have avoided this conversation.

"No," Molly said softly, turning the page of _The Prophet._

"You should, you know."

"I don't want to."

"You have to."

"I'm not going to a doctor."

Her mum turned the page in her newspaper.

"You know you should."

"They can't do anything for me."

"You never know, Molly."

"I don't have a muggle condition," Molly said, trying desperately not to think about it too much. "And we both know I already have the answer from the healers."

Her mum sighed. Molly threw herself into reading about the new changes Al was making in the process of authorizing house elf permits. It was so very dry.

"Word on job front?" her mum pressed.

"Right now I'm watching Rose's kids while Rose argues her way to a higher paying job."

"And later?"

"I have an interview lined up in two weeks."

"For?"

"Little Wizard's Play House."

"Oh," her mum said. "So, what kind of an establishment is this? A gentleman's club? And do you really think you can make a decent living there?"

"First of all, it's a daycare center. Second of all, if I really wanted to, I probably could make a tidy sum of money stripping. I'm not exactly ugly."

"If I ever find out you're stripping, I will kill you myself."

"I don't plan on it, mum. Honest."

"Your father will have a cow."

"I know, mum."

"We'll never forgive you, you know."

"I kind of expected as much."

"Well, so long as you know…"

3

"Please pick up, please pick up, please pick up." Ring. "Please pick up, please pick up, please pick up." Ring ring. "Please please _please_ pick up. Come on, Lorcan, I know you're there." Ring ring. "Fucking hell, Lorcan!"

"Uh…hello? Who is this?" A deep voice grumbled.

"Hey, Lorcan?"

"Um..yeah…"

"It's Molly. Look, I kind of need your help."

"Really. Need some new clothes?"

"Err…yeah, kind of…"

He chuckled on the other end.

"When?" he said.

"Saturday."

"Leaky Cauldron. Breakfast or lunch?"

"I'm not…"

"Look, if we're going shopping for _you_ then I'm going to need my strength. Now, breakfast or lunch? Or you can buy me dinner, whatever. I mean, I don't have anything to do at night, but if I _am_ going out, then I don't want to pay. Everything's more expensive after five. So what'll it be, kid?"

"Um…breakfast?"

"Seven o'clock it is, then. See you…"

"Seven? I don't think so. More like eleven."

"For breakfast, are you kidding me? That's lunch, my friend.

"Then lunch."

"Hmm…ok. Eleven at the Leaky Cauldron Saturday?"

"Yep."

"See you then."

"Gotcha covered."

3

"Joey, honestly, you have to go to bed now," Molly said, looking at the toy snitch in her hand.

"Why, though? I hate bed."

"Kid, look, you wanna be a big strong beater?" Molly prayed she got it right.

"No. I want to play keeper."

"Right, well, the best keepers are big guys, right?"

"No. Wood's the best and she's as small as Lily, though. So it doesn't matter if I'm big."

"Yeah, but what small guys are good keepers? All the small guys play seeker. So unless you sleep, you won't get big enough to playing anything but seeker."

"I don't want to play seeker."

"You do all your growing when sleeping, so you need to sleep to grow, you know."

"Really?"

"Really."

Joey sighed and slid under the covers.

"You sure this'll work."

"Yep. You know how tall Hugo is?"

"Yeah."

"He got that tall by sleeping."

Joey looked at Molly suspiciously and laid against his pillow.

"Goodnight, kid," Molly said, turning out his light.

"G'night, Molly."

She left his door open a crack, letting the light from the stairwell to beam into his room, and went back downstairs to clean up the mess they had made. She collected the dishes and deposited them in the sink, wiped down the tables, adjusted the throws, and searched through the vacuum. Where would Rose keep her vacuum? She probably didn't have a vacuum. Pushing back her annoyance, she pursued the dishes, keeping herself busy by scrubbing everything that had a speck of dust on it -- a trait from her mother. And when she was finished putting everything back where it should be, wiping down every surface of the house, and putting away all the toys the boys dragged out, she still had two hours. Damn her productivity.

She resigned herself to the couch and the wrap-up of a quidditch match.

But her mind was never really entertained by quidditch and it thought of its own things. Like the future. And it bothered her. She hadn't entertained serious thoughts of the future in…in a long time. Ten years. And…and it scared her, made her feel cold. She grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders. What was she going to do? Was she seriously going to try and build a career off childcare? She knew that wasn't going to work. And she had to move out of her parent's house. What were the odds that she was going to get paid enough to do that even if she did get the job at Little Wizard's? She rubbed her face. This was not going to go well. She would never have this, what Rose had -- happily married with three kids and one on the way. She always thought she would. From the time she was old enough to understand what the future was, she always wanted a handful of kids. From the time she was old enough to understand how you get kids, she wanted Lorcan. And now neither of them was plausible. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on their apex. She watched a guy dressed in red make a brilliant save.

"Molly!" Adam yelled from his room. "Molly!" He started crying.

Molly, taking the blanket with her, went into his room decorated with Ravenclaw colors.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, kneeling by his bed.

"There…there…there's a monster under my bed," he whispered as if afraid of the monster overhearing him.

"Well, then, we just have to get rid of it, don't we?" Molly said.

Adam nodded his head.

"How do we get rid of monsters?" Molly asked. "Do you know?"

"Daddy says monsters can't come in the house because of the spells he put on it," Adam said. "But they do come in. They do."

"I know they do, Adam. But do you know how you get rid of them?"

He shook his head.

"Well," Molly said. "Monsters don't like light."

"Of course not," Adam said, a smile on his face.

"So, do you know how we get light?"

"Turn on the light?"

"I have a better way. Come with me."

Molly led the kid to the kitchen. She reached up and grabbed an empty jar.

"Watch this," Molly said. She pulled her wand out of her back pocket and conjured a blue flame into the jar. She screwed the cap on, cast a quick unbreakable charm, and gave the glowing jar to Adam. "This'll keep the monsters away."

"Really?" He looked up at her with wide eyes.

Molly nodded and grinned.

"Now come on, it's time for bed, ok?" She put her hand on his back and ushered him into his room. "Now be careful with that because it's very special, ok?"

He nodded and smiled at her. She tucked him back in bed, his arms wrapped tightly around the unbreakable jar, and fell back asleep. Molly watched his peaceful face for a few seconds, her heart heavy. She bit her lip and gently shut the door behind her.

"Molly? Hey, how's it going?" Greg asked, loosening his tie and throwing his suit jacket on the couch.

"Eh, all right. How about you?"

"Exhausted. I wish Rose let me keep wine in the house, for sure. I could use a glass right about now. Man, those quidditch greats can talk on about nothing. I wish one of them had a brain. Could they have mentioned the current crisis the ministry is facing with house elf abuse or the sudden climb in pureblood heresy or the fact that the goblins are getting restless again? No, of course not. They're a bunch of arseholes." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. "The boys give you trouble?" He reached into the freezer and pulled out a cherry popsicle. "You want one?"

"No thanks. And the boys were great, as usual."

"They really like you, you know. I don't think they've taken to anyone as fast as they have to you. At least not all of them at once. You have a way with kids, you know."

"I'm pretty sure I inherited it," Molly said. "The name and all. You know how it is, with so many uncles."

Greg chuckled and nodded.

"The Weasleys do have a legacy."

"And you're undoubtedly starting your own."

He grinned and stuck the popsicle in his mouth, nodding.

"I grew up in a small family," he said, waving around his popsicle. "Only child. For a while, it was just me and my father. Loved Hogwarts. The chaos suited me well. Hated home. The isolation drove me up a wall." He shook his head and snorted. "Probably why I'm a Ravenclaw. My only view of the outside world at home was through books. Well, I suppose it doesn't hurt that my father is a university professor." He sighed and rubbed his hair. "I smell like cigar. Do you mind if I go change?"

"No, go right ahead."

"I thought Rose would be back by now. I don't know where she is. That girl has a mind of her own. I'll be right out."

Molly threw away the wrapper he left on the counter and straightened his jacket on the back of the chair. She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. Rose stumbled out of the fireplace, her face pale. She headed towards the bathroom without a word and Molly grimaced against the sound of vomiting. Greg came running out of his room, without a shirt, and went in after her.

"We need to take you to the hospital," Greg said softly when she was done vomiting. There was the sound of running water and Rose made what sounded like an objection. "Rose…"

"It's just vomit."

"It's not just vomit. Blood isn't supposed to be vomited."

"Greg, I'm exhausted. I just need some sleep, and then I'll be…"

"You won't be fine."

Molly sighed and bowed her head. Rose seemed to be crying.

"I just want to sleep. I just want to go to bed."

"I know, I know. But we have to take care of this, ok?"

"We can't ask Molly to stay any later."

"I'll go…get my father. He doesn't have any classes to teach on Friday."

"You know he won't be able to handle them in the morning."

"Not even I can handle them in the morning, Rose."

There was some more wretching.

"I can stay with them," Molly said loudly.

"No," Rose said.

"I don't mind. If you're vomiting blood, then you need to go," Molly said.

She vomited again.

"Dammit." There was more running water. Molly ventured near the bathroom. Rose hung over the sink, splashing her face, Greg holding back her honey hair and gently rubbing her back.

"It'll be fine, Rose. We just need to get you some medical attention."

She turned to him, wrapping her arms around him. He encompassed her, whispering things Molly either couldn't hear or understand. Rose drew a shuddering breath.

"I just want to change out of these pants," Rose said softly.

"Already getting tight?" He kissed her cheek and hooked his thumbs in her waistband.

"Please, not now. I'm really not well. And you need to get some clothes on, too."

"Thanks Molly," Greg said, edging by her. "Rose, do you want to take a quick shower?"

"Merlin, Greg, can't we just keep this simple?" She let go of him and slipped into their room.

Greg watched her go and rubbed his hair.

"Thanks again," Greg said. "This is the first time we've had a serious problem. Honest." He rubbed his face briskly. "I don't know how late we'll be. There are linens in the closet in the library if want to make up the couch." He walked over to the toilet and flushed it before taking out his wand and cleaning it all up. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Thanks."

"It's not a problem. Really."

"I _really_ hope this isn't that serious."

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

Greg looked down at her, a bit of surprise on his face.

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head. "I've got to get dressed."

Molly sighed, resigning herself to relaxing at the Daniels mansion.


	6. February 2

"Where's mum and dad?" Joey asked, sitting down at the counter and resting his chin on his folded hands. Molly flipped the pancakes and looked over at him.

"They're at a healer appointment," Molly replied, slipping some pancakes and a bit of fruit in front of him on a brightly colored plate.

"At eight in the morning?" Joey started cutting up his food.

"Orange juice or milk?"

"Juice, please."

"And it was a bit of an emergency."

"Is something wrong with the baby?"

"No. Everything's fine. They just had to check on some things, is all."

Joey looked a bit suspicious, but he continued to eat his pancakes. Adam came out of his room, carrying the blue flame with him. He climbed onto the stool and squinted his eyes at Molly.

"Where's daddy? He said he'd make me waffles today," Adam said, confusion evident in his tone.

"He'll make you some waffles another time, Adam. Right now, he's at an appointment."

"Mum had to see a healer."

Molly groaned and turned around, Adam looking like he was about to cry.

"Don't cry, kid," Molly said, leaning across the counter to come face to face with the boy. "Big boys don't cry over nothing, and this is nothing. Ok? Mum and dad are both fine."

"Is Walter ok?"

"Walter?"

"It's what he calls the baby, even thought he _knows_ we don't get to name him. Mum and Dad do, right, Adam?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Adam muttered, cradling the blue fire in his arms. "Is he ok?"

"The baby's fine," Molly said quickly, popping plate of pancakes and strawberries in front of him. "You guys sit tight for a few minutes while I go wake up Quinn."

"He doesn't like that," Joey said.

"Well, he needs to be woken up, so I'll bare the consequences."

As soon as Molly woke up the two year old, he started crying. Loudly. For his mother. Who was still in London.

"Quinn, Quinn, hey, calm down, ok?" Molly said. She took him and hitched him on her hip, cooking the boy a couple of small pancakes for breakfast. He clung to her like she was his life support and refused to let go. Even when his breakfast was done.

Only when Rose walked out of the fireplace with bags under her eyes and a crick in her neck did he start to squirm. Molly put him down so the three could plague their mother. Quinn and Adam each took a leg and Joey hung back, but was still as eager to see her.

"Guys," their father said from the front door. "Lay off, will you? Mum needs some rest, ok?"

Tentatively, Adam let go of his mum's leg and dragged Quinn away from her, too.

"You feeling ok?" Joey asked, his eyes tentative.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired. Come here." Rose wrapped her arms around her oldest son. "Were you good for Molly?" He nodded his head. "Thank you."

"Guys," their father said. "Hurry up and get dressed. I have some stuff for us to do today that I think you will enjoy."

"Like what?" Joey asked, pulling away from his mother.

"Catching our own lunch and cooking it on an open fire."

"Ice fishing?" Joey's eyes widened with excitement and he booked it up to his room.

"Make sure Quinn and Adam don't get out of your sight, Greg," Rose said, sitting down on the couch.

"Don't worry. You're under too much stress as it is."

Rose snorted. "As if I've never been not stressed."

Greg grinned and kissed her lightly on the head.

"I've got some boys to occupy."

Molly busied herself with cleaning up from breakfast, Adam making more of a mess than he should have.

"So what's the verdict?" she asked when she was sure the boys were out of the house.

"Ulcers."

"Seriously?" Molly put the last dish in the drying rack.

"Yep. Evidently I have a high stress job. As if I didn't know that one already. And all this negotiating isn't making it any better. Not to mention my own natural insecurities." She sighed and stretched out on the couch. "They tell me I should try and take a season off."

"An impossibility?" She started wiping down the counters.

"Unless I don't mind losing all the work I've done, the name I've built up for myself, and the position I've attained. It's useless, though. If I do go back in the fall, then I'm just going to be overwhelmed. I already know it." She shifted around and changed the channel on the television. "I can't drop off the map. I'm right on the cusp…"

"Is there a way for you to stay on the map, but still not work for a team?"

"What're you thinking?"

"I don't know. Could you like write for a magazine or something?"

Molly threw bits of half-eaten pancakes into the trash.

"I need to talk with Greg." Rose sighed.

"It'll all work out fine."

"You think so?"

"Why wouldn't it? I mean, no matter what you do, it isn't going to end _badly_. Well, it might. But not so bad a Ravenclaw can't figure out a way to fix it."

Rose chuckled and shook her head.

"I've really missed you," Rose admitted. "Could have used your optimism after Adam was born. That kid was so troublesome."

"What'd he do?" Molly slipped into one of the chairs.

"Well, he's got some sinus issues, so he had a lot of ear infections. Still does, actually, but it seemed like he _always_ had an ear infection. The healers were concerned it would affect his hearing. It didn't, thankfully, but still…He's due for one soon."

"I'm sure Fred and James could cheer you up, though."

"Yeah right. Have you ever _seen_ Fred in an uncomfortable situation? The kid doesn't know what to say. Worse than my father. They're pranksters, not optimists. There's a difference."

Rose yawned, unsuccessfully stifling it.

"I'm going to let you get some rest, now. Relax, will you? Take a nice bath or something. It seems like you don't do that all that much."

"How can I? between grooming a quidditch team to claim the cup and trying to groom my sons not to look like little brats when we take them out to team functions and games? It's a freaking nightmare."

"Maybe you do need a season off if you can't take half an hour a day to just relax," Molly said, throwing on her jacket.

"Maybe. I'll send Greg to your house with some…uh…I can't think of the word. I'll send him by."

"That's not…"

"I don't want to argue about this."

"Alright, well, I probably won't be there. I have to get some new clothes."

"Good. All your jeans look like they've been a werewolf's chew toy. You might want to look into getting some slacks too, will you? Especially if you ever _want_ to look professional."

"Yeah, because I can definitely look professional," Molly sarcastically quipped. "The only time I ever looked professional was when I played a military commander in some play about World War Three."

"You need to go outside to apparate. Greg put wards around the house."

"I…I don't apparate," Molly said, taking a pouch of floo powder off her belt.

"Why not?"

"I…don't really like it that much." She threw the silver dust on the fire. "I'll see you around, Rose."

"Thanks again."

"Really, no problem. Let me know if you need me again."

With a puff of smoke, she was gone.

3

"What do you need?" Lorcan asked, cutting up his Hippogriff steak.

"Mm…just some jeans…I think."

"How many?"

"Um…I don't know."

"How many do you have?"

"Err…four?"

"That you can wear in public?" Lorcan smirked at Molly's confusion.

"One…and a half?"

Lorcan snorted.

"Is what you're wearing right now your one or your half?"

"My one."

"It looks like a quarter. Your back pocket isn't even in tact anymore. Four pairs it is."

"Oh, come on, seriously?"

"Mhmm. Seriously. Stand up, will you?"

"What? Why?"

"Body shape. I'm thinking straight-leg would be your best bet. You're kind of short."

"You haven't figured that one out yet?"

"What kind of a jean are you wearing now?"

"I don't know. Lou sent them to me a few years back."

"A few years? Yeah, ok." He finished his potatoes. "Alright, let's go to Oz's. I already know what I'm going to get you. Did you eat _anything_?"

"Not really. I just had a big breakfast, so I'm good."

"Right. Breakfast."

"Hey, I actually got up before eight today, as a matter of fact."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Lorcan stood up and dropped a few coins on the table to compliment the galleon and few sickles Molly threw down. "I know just what I want to put you in first."

3

"Lorcan…I don't think these'll fit."

"Try them on."

"No."

"I just want to see you in one pair of jeans that actually clings to your hips. Goodness. Try them on, will you?" He shoved them in her hands.

"No." She shoved them back.

"I was afraid I was going to have to do this…Here, try these on and I'll try on anything you pick for me."

Molly laughed.

"Like we used to do back in the day?"

"Like we used to do back in the day," he admitted.

"What are these? Skinny jeans?"

"Err...basically."

"I want you to put on a pair."

"Guys or girls?"

"Guys. I'll go easy on you."

Lorcan sighed.

"As if I'm not gay enough already…"

"It's the clothes that actually fit you well. Get some baggy jeans and too-small tee-shirts and you're golden."

Lorcan grimaced and disappeared in the men's section for three seconds before coming back with three pairs of pants.

"What are you…?"

"I wanted to get a pair anyway."

"Seriously?" She watched Lorcan walk towards the dressing room.

"Mhm. Come on, no one is looking." He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the dressing room.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, pulling away from him.

"Just like old times," he said, already pulling off his pants. "Come on, hurry up and change before we're caught half-naked. Security guards don't take fondly to that."

Molly felt the Weasley blush burning her ears and she let her ratty jeans fall to the ground. The last time they had done this, they had been caught snogging without any pants, if she remembered correctly. They had been banned from Oz's for almost three months before they realized Lorcan made them more revenue than any of their regular employees.

"Lorcan, where are the pants?" She looked at him, trying desperately not to divert her gaze from his face. She knew his boxer briefs wouldn't leave enough to her imagination.

"Oh, right." He turned around and bent over shamelessly, making Molly have to clear her throat and start counting sheep to keep herself from having an issue with wandering hands. Why did she agree to this again? Fuck, she was an idiot. He came back up with the pants and put them in her hands, the small dressing room making their shoulders nearly touch.

"Thanks," Molly said in an unintentionally small voice. She shimmied into them and turned to face the mirror. "I don't think they're big enough. They make my ass look big."

"No, Molly. They make you look like you have an ass." He stood next to her. "They make _my_ ass look big."

"No, not really," Molly said, tilting her head in the direction of his behind. "It actually looks really nice. They aren't as tight as I thought they'd be."

"Yeah, they're more of a tapered leg than a technical skinny jean…"

"I like them."

"You think?" He turned to face her and rolled his eyes. He reached over and grabbed the very little fabric he could at her hips.

"What're you doing?"

"You're wearing them too high."

He tried to tug them lower over her pelvis. Shaking his head, he just unbuttoned them and pulled them down to where he wanted them and fixed them up again. His fingers brushed repeated against her hot skin and made her blush even more than she was already. She started counting sheep again to avoid jumping him. His hands slipped up her tee-shirt and rested around her waist. She couldn't breathe, his cold hands sending shivers down her back and her mouth wanting to engage him. She lifted up her hands, trembling, and placed them on his.

"What…what are we doing, Lorcan?" Molly asked softly, her hands tightening around his broad, strong wrists. An indescribable sense of fear filled her chest.

"You're fucking beautiful," he whispered, his voice low and rough.

"Bloody hell," she muttered, taking her hands and wrapping them around Lorcan's head. Without much resistance, she kissed him lightly on the lips. He pushed her against the wall and kissed her harder, taking initiative, his hands resting on her ass comfortably. Her hands stayed in his soft, blonde hair.

"What are we doing?" she repeated when he pulled away.

"What do you think we're doing?" he murmured, his eyes wide with anticipation.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, both of them trying to find the answers in the other's eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Molly whispered, her hand slipping off his broad shoulders to her side. His hands grabbed hers, holding them firmly.

"Yes." He paused for a moment. "Do you?"

She looked up at him, not really knowing what to say.

"I…I don't understand."

"Look, Molly, I know about the magical dependence and transference, ok? I _know_." Molly turned her eyes to the ground. "Hey, look at me, hon. I know, ok? You've given me ten _agonizing_ years to think about it. And I'm sorry for how I first reacted.I'm so _so_ sorry." Molly could feel the tears beginning to surface in her eyes. "I know if this ever goes any farther than dating we won't be able to have any of our own kids. I'm _ok_ with that. Alright? But that doesn't mean we can't, like, take any in, you know?" She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "Molly?" She looked up at him again. "Is this something you're ok with?" She looked away again. Lorcan wrapped her arms around her tightly, bridging the gap between the two of them. "This isn't your fault, Molly."

"How can you say that? Of course it is…"

"No."

"It's my fault my organs can't sustain themselves…"

"You have no control over that, Molly. None. Come on, now."

Tears started to trickle out of her eyes.

"It's not your fault." His arms squeezed around her tighter.

"No, Lorcan. You don't understand." She pressed her cheek into his tee-shirt.

"Molly…Molly…I wish there was something I could say…"

Somoene knocked on the door to the changing room.

"We only allow one customer at a time in the changing room, sirs. One of you please come out."

"Jimmy?" Lorcan asked, leaning over and opening the door.

"Oh, Lorcan. Hey, what're you…? Oh…"

"My girl's just going through a difficult time," Lorcan said softly. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Um…no, take all the time you need."

"Thanks."

Lorcan shut the door. And turned back to Molly, who wiped her tears on her wrists.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"No, don't be."

Some people shuffled around outside.

"Your girl, huh?"

"Either that or 'my former girlfriend who I still have deep feelings for and may possibly in the near future get back together with'. Either way, your call."

Molly weakly grinned and gave a brief snort.

"Yeah, I get your point," she said. She rubbed her face and turned back to the mirror. "So you think these look ok?"

"Everything looks ok on you," he said. "These look amazing. They're not too tight or anything, right? You can still breathe and move around?"

"Yeah. They feel fine."

"And then you also have the three straight leg…"

"Yeah."

"You think that's enough?"

"I want to get out of here."

She started unbuttoning her jeans. Lorcan caught her hand again.

"Where do we stand?" he asked.

"I don't…"

"Next Friday night. The Quartz."

"I have an interview…"

"Saturday, then. You still like the Quartz?"

"Isn't that a bit expensive for…"

"First of all, I'm paying and my gringotts vault is overflowing with galleons to spend. You don't actually spend that much on field work. Secondly, I'm paying. I'll send you a dress."

"I didn't say…"

"Are you saying no?"

Molly stared at him for a few seconds.

"Alright, then. I'll pick you up at eight. If you aren't ready, I'll make you ready."

"Lorcan…"

He took off his pants and replaced him with his boot cut jeans.

"Yeah?" He looked over his shoulder. The sight of Molly, her arms wrapped around herself and her eyes wide and vulnerable punched him in the gut. Slowly, he straightened his back.

"Thanks," she murmured, staring into his eyes.

"I love you, Molly."

She stared at him with wide eyes.

"How?"

"Dunno. It is what it is, isn't it?" He tucked a bit of auburn hair behind her ear and kissed her gently, lovingly.

"I…I guess so."

"Come on. Jimmy's going to think we're getting busy in here." Lorcan tossed Molly her ratty jeans and watched as she changed. "Do you need new underwear, too?"

"Lorcan," she chastised, struggling not to giggle. "You can't…"

"Can't what?" He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"We need to get out of here, you know. My father's going to think something happened to me."

"I miss your freckles," he muttered, brushing her neck with his fingertips.

"Lorcan, not here."

He looked at her, slightly alarmed.

"My place?" Molly could hear his heart pounding against his chest.

She was tempted. So very tempted. To take him up on his offer.

"It's…it's a bit soon," she muttered, almost regretting the words and her sudden urge to be responsible.

Lorcan sighed.

"Of course. Sorry. It just…feels like we've already been going out for two years." Lorcan slipped away and opened the door, leading her back to the checkout and then the Leaky Cauldron


	7. February 3

Molly sat down at the table across from her father, finishing up her corn and half a piece of chicken.

"Did the interview go well?" he asked.

"I believe so."

"You believe so?"

"Yes."

"Does your employer believe so?"

"I don't see why not."

Her father glanced up at her, but continued eating.

"Do you have any plans for this weekend?" He took a sip of wine.

"Saturday evening Lorcan and I are going out."

"Do you know when you will return?" He placed his wine glass on the table with a deliberate chink.

"No."

"I expect you to."

"I'm not a teenager, dad."

He stood up and cleared his plate, running the water and cleaning the dishes.

"Sunday you need to be at the Burrow. We're doing a birthday thing," he said.

"Whose?"

"Rose, Roxy, Flick and Geoff."

"You couldn't have told me this sooner?"

"Bring me your plate, will you? And your mother just told me yesterday. I don't like it any more than you do."

3

Molly stared at the red dress laid out on her bed, biting her cheek. It was gorgeous, to be sure, and Lorcan even had enough foresight to send her suitable make-up to match it, but it looked a bit too revealing to get by her father, even if she was twenty seven and old enough to make these calls on her own. She put on the dress and looked at herself in her mirror. Yep, Lorcan definitely sent her the dress with the cleavage. If she was wearing her coat, maybe he wouldn't notice. Actually, her father definitely wouldn't notice. She splashed on some make-up and put on some jewelry she filched from Lily earlier. Silver. How very Slytherin of her not to have any gold. She shook her head and put on her shoes. She glanced at her watch. Ten minutes. She buttoned her coat and made her way down to the sitting room.

She sat on the couch, resisting the urge to bite her fingernails she had painted -- thank Merlin she hadn't gone with the purple -- red. Her leg bounced anxiously, making her heel click against the hardwood floor.

"Nervous?" her father asked from the entrance to the kitchen.

She looked over at him and shot him a nervous grin. He snorted and retreated back to the kitchen. What had gotten into him?

Someone knocked on the door. Molly nearly jumped out of her skin. She stood up and calmly walked towards the door, putting on an easy grin and trying to force her heart to stop pounding against her chest. She opened it and was greeted by Lorcan, his short hair styled meticulously, his body sporting a black suit and red tie.

"Hey." He swallowed. "This is for you, m'lady." He held out a red rose with a gold stem.

Smiling, Molly took it. It was the same kind of enchanted rose he had left on her pillow in the girl's dormitory at Hogwarts the first time they went to Hogsmeade, just the two of them.

"Thanks," she said, looking into his clear blue eyes.

"Shall we get going?" His voice cracked slightly at the end. He cleared his throat, his cheeks blushing red.

She nodded and hooked her arm into his, mentally preparing herself for aparation.

3

"This place hasn't changed a bit," Molly said, bringing her water to her lips.

"No, it really hasn't." Lorcan shifted in his chair. "Is it safe to assume you're getting the salmon?"

"Is it safe to assume you're getting the steak?"

"The beef, actually. They changed one of their chefs a few years back and the steak just hasn't been the same."

"Is the salmon still good?"

"Still the best, you mean? Yes. At least, I think it is, anyway. The muggles still have nothing on this place. Although, some of the wizarding wines are still questionable."

"What was that about our wines, Mr. Scamander?" A man dressed in a grey suite asked, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh, I was just telling Molly, here, that wizarding wines still haven't quite caught up to the muggles."

"Oh, pfft, Lorcan. You know my stance on that one."

"And you know mine." Lorcan cast Molly a grin out of the corner of his eye. "Is there something you need to update me on?"

"Ah, yes, there has been a problem securing the wine you specified…"

"Can I talk with you in private for a moment?" Lorcan stood up, his grin gone from his face.

"Yes, Mr. Scamander, of course."

Molly watched the two of them walk away, wondering how many times he came here to get on a first name basis with the sommelier. And also why he was so particular about his wine. Ten years ago, he would have said a color, hoped it was ok, and bared the consequences. In a few minutes, he settled back into his seat, his cheeks red.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Just a bit of a mistake."

"It's quite alright, you know. I'm not educated in wines enough to know if it's the right one or not."

"But I am." He straightened his jacket. "Enough of wine for now, eh? How did your interview go?"

"Oh, um…well, I hope." She offered a feeble grin and shrugged.

"I'm sure it went fine."

"So, what are you doing now?"

"Documenting the finds of our latest excursion," he said. "I have until April to finish. April twenty third I leave on another excursion."

"Where to?"

"A forest in the middle of Bulgaria. Evidently there's a spot that's somehow repelling muggles. We think there may be something there."

"And how long will you be there for?"

"About three months."

"And then?"

"France for another two. There's a rumor of a basilisk-dragon hybrid we're going to try and find."

"And then?"

"Spain for four. A remote island not far from Portugal. Again, repels muggles. No wizard has gone there. Depending on what we find, I may be there for as long as a year."

"In Spain?"

"If there's a lot to do. I mean, if we go and we see that it's just a deserted island of Voldemort's -- which has happened -- then we just remove the wards and call it a day. But if there's actually magical creatures that are giving off a repelling charm. Well, let's just say it'd be like Christmas."

"Would you…would you come back at all?"

"I get two weeks for Christmas and the month of August."

"And the policy on visitors?" She sipped her water, trying not to make it seem like she was thinking too far ahead. She knew she was failing, but also knew by Lorcan's grin he was pleased with the idea.

"You can come and visit me any time you like, Molly. Luna, on the other hand, needs express permission from my boss, which he does not give out lightly."

"Why?"

"She's a naturalist, too. We tend to be very territorial about our research grounds. You are a childcare provider. They couldn't care less if you floated in and out so long as you didn't disturb the breeding grounds."

"Breeding grounds?"

"Where most of the research is done. They're cornucopias of information."

"Sir, here is your wine."

"Thank you, Peter."

"Your food will be out shortly."

"Of course."

"How would I go about finding you on one of these excursions?" Molly asked, admiring the way he adeptly poured the wine into the glasses.

"Well, I would meet you in the embassy. So no surprise trips. Unless you went through someone else on the team." Lorcan took his glass, swirled the wine around, inhaled its scent, and tasted it. He nodded his head and put the glass down.

"You find it suitable?"

"I would have preferred a darker ruby, but…ah, it doesn't matter all that much. Not quite as dry as I would have liked, is all."

Molly bit her lip and smiled at him.

"You look gorgeous, by the way," Lorcan whispered in low tones, careful to avoid being overheard. They were in the middle of the floor and he never was very comfortable with public announcements of affection.

"And you're startlingly handsome." She couldn't shake the smile.

Their food appeared in front of them.

"When was the last time you danced?" Lorcan asked.

"Danced what?"

"Swing."

Molly nearly choked on her salmon.

"Swing?"

"Yeah, swing."

"Not since that guy in Spain...so…four years? And he was really bad…about as bad as you were when I convinced you to give it a go at the seventh year ball."

"Alright. I'm only going to ask you once to give me a second chance."

"You want to go swing dancing?"

"I've gotten a lot better. Dated a swing dancing instructor for a few months, you know."

"Really? And why'd you break up with her?"

"I was still in love with you."

Molly's heart skipped a beat.

"But, yes. I figured we could go dancing. Stop by my place first and drop off our coats and then we can get going. We won't want to drag these things around all night, I don't think. Not to mention I'm susceptible to losing these sorts of things."

"Alright. Sounds good to me."

3

Molly's face was flushed when she and Lorcan collapsed on his couch at three o'clock in the morning, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and pressing her against his body.

"You really did get good," she said, kicking off her shoes.

"I know."

"I need to go home. My father's going to have a cow…"

"How old are you, Molly? Seventeen?"

"I know, right?"

She didn't move, resting her head against him. He pulled out his wand and flicked it at the fireplace in front of him, simultaneously igniting the log on fire and diming the electrical lights. He slipped his own shoes off and gently caressed Molly's bare arm.

"Would you like something to drink?" Lorcan whispered.

"No. Merlin knows I've drunk more than my fair share tonight. I think I'm a bit buzzed, to be honest."

"You know, for a girl who downs hard liquor like candy, I would have thought some wine and gin wouldn't even phase you."

"Pfft. Moderation. It's in moderation."

He kissed her head lightly.

"Do you want something to eat?" he asked.

"Eat?" She looked at him a bit expectantly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Wow. You're actually _hungry_?"

"After dancing with a fiend?" Molly sat up and grinned. "Yeah."

Lorcan chuckled and stood up, leaving Molly cold without his warm embrace. She stood up and followed him into his kitchen, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. She took a seat at his little table in the middle of the small kitchen and watched as he tossed his tie haphazardly on the counter and untucked his shirt.

"Merlin, this is uncomfortable." He unbuttoned his shirt and put it on top of his tie, leaving him in his black tank top. He stretched his pale shoulders and reached into his freezer. "Ice cream ok?"

"Definitely."

"Vanilla or strawberry?"

"You actually have strawberry ice cream?"

Lorcan just gave her one of his grins.

"I'll have strawberry."

"Awesome. I've been trying to get rid of this for ages." He plopped an enormous amount of pink ice cream in a blue bowl and tossed the carton in the trash. He dished himself an equally large amount of vanilla and popped the ice cream back in the freezer.

"I'm not going to be able to eat all that." Molly picked up the spoon and started eating.

"Yeah, well, you ought to try."

Molly snorted and shook her head. Lorcan headed for the couch again, Molly right after him. They settled back on the couch, both of them staring into the fire, Molly relying on him for warmth, Lorcan relying on her for a sense of companionship.

"I'm going to be honest," she said. "I had a lot better time than I was anticipating."

"Really?" Lorcan sounded surprised.

"I thought it was going to be a train wreck."

"Well, I had a better time than I was anticipating, but I definitely didn't think it would be a train wreck. Maybe more like a couple of friends than a romantic couple." He looked at her auburn hair, the red clearly visible in the firelight. She shivered slightly under his arms. "Are you cold?"

"Ice cream certainly doesn't help the matter."

Lorcan pulled a blanket from who knows where and draped it over both of them, the warmth almost instant. She put her bowl on the coffee table, only a third of it eaten, and leaned against his strong arm muscled from digging through the jungle looking for animals. He placed his bowl down shortly after. Gently, she pressed her lips against his arm and let her cheek stick to his shoulder. She put her hand in his. He managed to kiss her cheek and a want started to ebb away at Molly's stomach. She felt his eyes looking at her. She turned her gaze toward him. His eyes held his want.

"Are you going to kiss me?" she asked, her mouth burning with anticipation.

"I don't know. Do you want me to?"

"Why don't you try and find out?"

In a second, Molly was on her back, lying on the couch, Lorcan over her, his lips firmly pressed against her neck. He kissed her jaw, her cheek, her lips and worked down to her collar bone, making her squirm slightly.

"I forgot how much you liked that," he muttered, licking her skin. He turned back to her lips, allowing her to engage him as well, teasing him down his neck, his collar bone, his jaw.

"Do you want to go somewhere a bit more comfortable?" he murmured, his lips inches from hers.

She knew exactly what he meant. It was his way of asking if she wanted sex. Just the thought sent her pulse racing. She wanted it, alright. But was it too soon? His hand gently brushed against her bust, her jaw tightening in response. He was patient, she knew. Lorcan could wait until they were married. He was like a camel. But she knew she wouldn't be able to. He kissed her collar bone again, slipping down to her chest not covered by her dress. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Yeah. Yes. Let's…yes," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

Grinning, he scooped her up in his arms and brought her to his bedroom.

3

The sunlight streamed through the curtain slightly open in Lorcan's London apartment. It fell on Molly's face, making her squint against the bright light. She buried her head under the blankets, Lorcan's arm securely around her, and fell back asleep.


	8. February 4

"Hey, sleepyhead," Lorcan whispered, brushing Molly's tangled locks off her face.

"Mmm."

"Did you sleep well?"

Molly grinned at him. She had slept better than she had in a very long time. He kissed her grinning lips.

"Do you want some breakfast?"

"I'll cook," she said, stifling a yawn.

"Well, if you want to, I'm not going to stop you." He sat up, revealing his bare torso as the blanket slipped off of him.

"I love you," Molly said, meaning each word with the fullness of her heart. Lorcan smiled at her, revealing his perfect white teeth and boyish attributes. She sat up, too, and realized that the only clothes she had was the dress from last night. Without being asked, Lorcan threw at her one of his tee-shirts and a pair of boxers.

"Thanks," she said, slipping the tee-shirt over her head. "I thought you only wore boxer briefs."

"I do. I won them at a raffle."

"What kind of a raffle was it?" She stepped into them, finding they were just tight enough to gently hang on to her hips.

"To save the crumple horned snorkacks. It was actually a banquet. There's one next month I have to go to honoring Rolf for something or other. I don't keep track of these things. Do you want to come? I have an extra ticket, and…"

"When is it?"

"The eighteenth."

"I guess so."

"Awesome."

"So…do you have any eggs?"

Molly ventured into Lorcan's fridge and started pulling out all sorts of things and tossing them in a frying pan -- peppers, onions, mushrooms, more onions, sausage -- and cooking. Lorcan stood behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Do you mind if I turn on the quidditch game?" he murmured, his breath tickling her ear.

"Wait, quidditch? What time is it?"

"Mmm…" He pulled away to check his clock. "Three in the afternoon."

Molly dropped the wooden spoon she held.

"Three in the fucking afternoon? Shit! Where's my dress." She flung his tee shirt across the room and scrambled through the pile of clothes on the floor, stepping into her dress and shimmying into it.

"What's wrong?"

"Are my shoes in the living room?"

"Um…I believe so. Molly?"

"I was supposed to be at the Burrow two hours ago," she groaned, slipping on her heels.

"Oh. Um…here's your coat."

"Thanks."

"Floo's on the chimney."

She pulled him close and kissed him roughly.

"Forgive me?" she asked.

"Molly, I don't want to be your whole life. I know how much your family expects of you and your impending job and all that." He tucked her hair behind her ear, a grin on his lips. "I just want to be your favorite part."

"Ugh, Lorcan. Don't say stuff like that." She threw some floo powder on the fire. "It'll make me stay here with you for a week."

Lorcan chuckling in her ear, she flooed to her house.

3

"Took you long enough," Lily grunted when Molly walked through the door.

"Sorry. I got…held up," Molly muttered, sitting down at the table with her cousin.

"You missed presents and cake."

"That's fine. It doesn't matter."

"Your dad is going to skin you."

"I know."

Lily laughed.

"What's so funny?" Flick asked, crossing her arms and poking her head into the kitchen.

"Go bugger off, kid," Lily muttered.

Instead, Flick sat down at the table.

"You can't tell me what to do, it's my birthday," Flick said indignantly.

"Ahuh, you're definitely going to be a Gryffindor when you grow up," Lily said sarcastically.

Flick snorted and crossed her arms.

"Well, we'll find out in September, won't we?"

"You haven't even gotten your letter yet."

"'Yeah, but there's no doubt I'm magic. Why wouldn't I be accepted into Hogwarts?"

"Because they already know what kind of a troublemaker you are, is why."

"Oh, happy birthday, Flick," Molly said before she forgot.

"My birthday isn't for another _three days_. I hate how we do this _now_." The girl rolled her eyes.

Molly bit her lip. Lily rolled her eyes in an eerie replication of Flick's eye roll.

"Ah, Molly, you're finally here!" James said. "I thought the thespians had gotten you again. Told them you were alright, but when I found out you were with Lorcan, it all made sense. So how'd it go?"

Molly stared at him, her cheeks red, and didn't reply.

"It's quite alright. We can all guess with some accuracy how it all went, can't we?" Fred chimed in from behind him.

"I…"

"Don't even bother," Lily muttered. "Their shenanigans have only gotten worse with age."

"Better, Lily. Better with age," James corrected. "Alright, who's up for a game of quidditch! Lily, keeper?"

"Not today. Not feeling too well."

"Alright, alright. Mum, you playing?"

"Sure, sure, in a minute!"

"I'm seeker!" Flick said, racing to the broom shed.

"Only if I can be beater," Geoff said from the other room, racing his sister.

"Those two never stop," Lily muttered, stretching out her legs.

"Neither did we when we were their age."

Lily snorted and nodded in agreement.

"Molly, your mother and I are going to have a talk with you when we return to the house," her father said from the doorway. "I just thought I should let you know."

"Thanks, father," Molly said stiffly.

Lily tried unsuccessfully to suppress a grin.

"Hey, if they kick you out, you can stay at my place. You'll just have to pay half the rent. Got it?"

"I doubt it'll come to that."

3

Molly dropped her bag on the stoop and checked the address. 12 Grimmauld Place. Yep, this was the right address. She knocked on the door.

"Hey, Molls," Lily said, opening the door. "You can have your pick of rooms. I have the master bedroom on the third floor and Lou is currently holed up in the small room on the first landing."

"What's Louis doing here?"

"Pierre broke up with him and everything in France reminds him of him. So he came here. Oh, and while I'm at it, Hugo crashes here when he's in town, too. There's no sense in him getting an apartment. His bedroom is the one opposite Lou's. And Flora has a history of staying sometimes when she's visiting England without her mum. She gets the third floor room. And Flick Geoff have the other third floor room scouted out. So basically you're best bet would be the fourth floor."

"Tch. Gotcha," Molly said. "Thanks for this, by the way. I had no idea my parents would be so…ugh."

"Yeah, I hear you. Uncle Perce can be unpredictable sometimes."

Molly sighed and picked up her bag and pillow.

"Fourth floor?"

"Fourth floor."

She started climbing the stairs, Lily behind her.

"This place used to be the headquarters for the Order of the Pheonix," Lily said with pride. "They still use it in extreme emergencies. Haven't had one in a long while, though. Can't say I'm disappointed. Spent an entire year trying to get this place into a livable situation. When I came here, it was so dark. Put in some new windows, painted the walls bright colors, refurnished the place. And now it's good."

"Yeah." Molly started climbing the stairs, the strap to her bag digging into her shoulder. She passed by the door on the second floor, but kept going up. Eventually -- after passing through the third floor -- she came to the fourth floor. Lily opened one of the doors.

"This one's probably the most spacious up here. Linens are in the top of the closet. Have fun. Um…and rent information is forthcoming." Grinning, Lily dropped Molly's bags and made her way downstairs.

Molly sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the wall, painted with a light blue. Lily really did do a good job with the place. She was expecting some dank, dark, abysmal hole in the wall like Uncle Harry described it to them as when they were kids. This place was actually rather livable. She sighed and stood up, beginning the process of moving in.

3

"Come on, Lorcan. I know you're there. You can't hide from me. You can't." Ring ring. "Pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up." Ring ring. "Dammit! How many times does this thing have to ring?" Ring ring. "Ugh! Come on, already?" Ring ring.

"Hello?"

"Lorcan, hey, it's Molly."

"Hey, hon. Everything ok?"

"I got the job!" Molly struggled not to yell too loudly into the phone.

"You what?"

"The job -- at the daycare? I got the position. Said something about me not being a pedophile or something…"

"That's great!"

"Yeah. So…I just wanted to tell you."

"Well, we need to celebrate, don't we?" she heard him rustling through some papers on the other end. "Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Lorcan, I…"

He hung up.

3

Molly burst into the kitchen, praying that Lily had some floo powder above the fireplace, and was greeted by Louis sitting at the table in an old tee-shirt and jeans, his usually styled hair flat, his face unshaved, and his eyes red. For any other man, he would have looked perfectly normal. But for Lou, he looked like a wreck. He cradled a mug of some alcohol Molly could smell from across the room.

"Where're you going?" he asked, his voice a low croak in his throat.

"Um…to meet Lorcan…"

"Ah…boyfriend…" He took a swig from his mug. "I used to have one of those. Before he said my family was a waste of fucking time." He took another swig. "Afore he told me I was a worthless piece of garbage for going back to them." He took another swig. "Before he said I was too much of a _coward_ and that I should just go fuck myself." He started crying, the tears streaming down his cheeks as he drained the rest of his mug.

"Oh…Lou…" Molly nervously took a seat next to him.

"He broke my heart, Molly," he said, wrapping his arms around her and crying into her shirt. "He broke it to little itty bitty pieces and then burned them." He shoulders shook as he sobbed.

Molly didn't know what to do. She obviously couldn't leave him like this. But she was supposed to meet Lorcan. She pulled out her phone and texted him: cnt go Lous reck have 2 stay sry.

"Hey, Lou," she muttered, rubbing his back. "He's not worth your time."

"How can he not be worth my time? He's perfect and handsome and funny and hilarious and an awesome fucker…"

"Lou, as much as you miss him, he's missing you ten times more."

"No he's not." His grip tightened on her.

"And how do you know that, Lou?"

"He left me for another man."

"Oh."

The fire blared green and Lorcan stepped out of its depths.

"Ah, good," he said. "You really are here."

"Yeah."

"Lou. Go get dressed. I'm taking you out."

"What?" Lou looked up, complete confusion on his face.

"Yeah, let's go. I know of a few spots."

"What do you…?"

"Just go get ready, will you? And stop complaining. And asking questions. It's a secret, kid."

"I don't want to go out," Lou complained, slumping forward over the table.

"You don't want to go see…Mama Mia?"

"What?" Lou stood up, a look of shock on his face. "How did you get tickets? I thought it was sold out for ages!"

"I have my ways, Lou." Lorcan pulled two tickets out of his back pocket and waved them in front of the moping man. Lou plucked them out of his hands and stared at them, shocked.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, Lou, seriously."

"These are amazing seats!"

"I know."

"Give me an hour!"

He ran up the stairs, his loping stride taking him out of sight fairly quickly. Lorcan sighed and sat down in a chair.

"Sorry about that. I just hate to see that kid upset," Lorcan said. "If you want to take him, I completely understand."

"To Mama Mia? Please. I've seen Lysander and Cory put that thing on. I don't think I could ever see it the same again," Molly said, forcing herself to grin lightly. She really would have enjoyed to see it. The image of Cory in a dress just didn't make her grin as much as it used to when they were in Hogwarts. And he didn't have the best voice.

"Oh, well, that's too bad," Lorcan said, sighing. "Because I have another pair for the weekend. I thought you'd be interested, but if you aren't…"

"Are you shitting me?" Molly stared at Lorcan, silent.

"Why would I shit you?" Lorcan said, the grin on his face genuine. "You said it was one of your favorites back in the day, didn't you?"

"Well…yeah…" Molly hit him.

"Is that a 'yeah, I'd like to go'?"

"Fuck yeah."

"You really need to watch that tongue of yours, Molly." Lorcan kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Alright. I'm going to get this kid smashed and maybe given some head. I don't think it'll take too long, but gay men can be picky."

"No need to tell me. I'm dating one."

"You are not."

"Did you look at yourself in the mirror before you left your apartment?"

"Yeah." Lorcan looked down at himself. "I look pretty good."

"You're wearing a fleece zipper vest, a button down long sleeve shirt, and jeans that fit. Not to mention your hair has about as much hair gel in it as Lou's."

"Hey, if I'm bringing that kid into a gay bar, I might as well have some fun with it, too."

"Just don't go cheating on me with another man, ok? I don't think I could handle that."

"I promise you, you don't have to worry about that." Lorcan chuckled and stood up, tucking the tickets back into his pocket.

"If you say so…"

"I'm ready!" Lou shouted, nearly tripping over himself as he burst back into the kitchen. He was dressed clean -- button down shirt, nice jeans, black shoes -- and his hair was meticulous.

"Alright, let's go, then," Lorcan said with a shrug.

"See you, Molly," Lou said before apparating.

"Thanks, Lorcan," Molly said.

"It's not problem," Lorcan said, kissing her lightly on the top of her head. Grinning, he apparated.


	9. March 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Potter property, but congrats to those who do.**

March

"When Molly and Lucy were young girls, it was always Molly who played with dolls. She would dress them up, feed them, and take care of them as if they were her own children. There was no doubt in my mind she would take after my mum and have eight children of her own to raise and groom with a certain expertise only certain women possess. She was born for that. It was evident to me and everyone else in the family. It was evident to her, too, from a young age. At Hogwarts, I would always get stories of how she helped younger students who were in trouble or disappointed or something of the sort. She had the motherly gene even if she was a bit more tomboyish than Lucy. She took care of Lorcan, Lysander, and Cory as if they were her children, sometimes, too. I've heard them on more than one occasion arguing about the danger of this or that or her questioning whether or not they've thought through a plan well enough or her yelling at them for getting bad marks. It's just who she is.

"And when she found out she could never have children, that if she ever did it would kill her and the baby, she was lost. She didn't show it. She acted like nothing was wrong. But you could see it in the way she didn't touch her stuffed animals or dolls, in the way she talked to Lorcan more aggressively than she had before, in the way she completely withdrew into herself. She went away for a summer. Audrey and I thought it would be good for her. We didn't think she would just run away from her problems.

--Percy

Molly doubled over the toilet and vomited.

"What's wrong?" Lorcan asked, quickly coming next to her, holding back her hair as she vomited again.

"It's probably just a bug," she muttered, flicking the sink on.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should go see a healer."

Molly looked up at him, his blue eyes shimmering with worry. Her mouth twitched into a grin despite the tight pain wrapping around her stomach.

"I'm fine, Lorcan." She splashed water on her face and rinsed her mouth.

"You're sure?"

"Yes!" She shook her head and laughed a bit.

"Maybe we shouldn't have kissed so much last night…I might actually come down with something…" Lorcan scratched his head, his face expressing his concern with his usual animation.

"Stop it," she said, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Come lay down. You need your rest." He scooped her up in his arms.

"Put me down, Lorcan. I can walk on my own."

"Not when you're in this condition, you can't. You just sit right here while I make you some chicken noodle soup, huh?" He put her gently on his couch and threw a blanket over her.

"Lorcan, I…"

"Hush. Get some rest."

"But I'm not…"

He turned around and left her there, her stomach settling and her eyes getting heavy again.

3

"No, Dominic, you aren't supposed to play with the spider," Molly said, gently taking away the squirming animal from the three year old.

"Spidy! Spidy!" He cried, jumping up and down in an effort to get it.

"Why don't you go and play with Kenny, Dom? He looks like he could use someone to play with," Molly said.

Dominic looked over his shoulder and abandoned Molly without a second thought. Molly promptly killed the spider and put the remains in the trash. She leaned against the wall, her head aching and her eyes stinging. She hadn't slept well last night, the bug still plaguing her with a constant sense of nausea. She pinched her nose between her eyes and took a deep breath against a particularly poignant urge to flee to the bathroom. Vomiting got tired very quickly.

"I think you need to take a few days off," Sarah, her boss, said. "You're just getting more and more run down every day. Go home and don't come back until next week."

"You're giving me a whole week off?"

"You've been deathly sick for a week. You shouldn't be here. What if one of the kids catches it? If this is something serious, then we're screwed."

Molly sighed and stared at her green shoes, her stomach threatening to revolt at any second.

"Alright. I'll see you Monday." Molly grabbed her jacket and headed for the floo.

3

"Molly?" A weight settled on the side of her bed. "Hey, how're you feeling?"

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Lorcan sat next to her, one of his warm hands on her arm.

"Tired," she muttered. "What's the time?"

"Eleven."

She groaned and rolled over, planting her face in a pillow.

"Come on, Molls. I scheduled a healer appointment for you."

"Lorcan!" She sat up, the sudden movement sending her head spinning. "What the fuck did you do that for?" She pressed her fingers to her head. "Merlin, that was stupid. I'm not going."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"I'll drag you if I have to."

"You're not dragging me. I'll vomit all over you."

"That won't stop me."

"Please. You're more of a germophobe than Hugo, King Germophobe himself."

"I'll get over it for you and your well being."

Molly lowered her hands and looked at him, at his jaw set and his hands clenched.

"Please don't do this." Her voice was faint, fear beginning to grip her. She felt unwarranted tears come to her eyes, the memory of what happened the last time she went to a healer…

"Molly. It'll be ok." He wrapped his hands around her upper arms, his long fingers entirely circling them. "We'll be there together."

"That's…that's what you said last time, too."

Lorcan's grip loosened and his eyes looked at the bed spread. Suddenly, he moved next to her and wrapped his arms around her so tight she thought he was going to break some of her bones.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "You have no idea." He pressed his nose into her hair. "Please, Molly."

She didn't move.

"Molly…"

"Lorcan, please let go of me." Molly looked at him, cold.

"You can't be doing this right now," he said, standing up.

"Doing what? Trying to get some sleep?" She felt tears prick the back of her eyes. "Trying to get better? A healer isn't going to do anything for me! Nothing! We both know it. Get out of my room!"

"Molly, I'm not leaving without you."

"Yes, you are."

"No I'm not."

"Be reasonable!"

Molly rolled her eyes and got out of bed. It was pointless trying to sleep now. She slipped by Lorcan and slowly made her way down the stairs, every step seeming to jar her stomach and churn it to the point of vomiting. She slipped into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, Lorcan standing in her mirror.

"Molly, you have to go to the healer."

"No I don't."

"What if this is a complication?"

Molly stopped brushing her teeth, cold washing over her.

"It's just a bug," she said quickly, getting back to brushing.

"You've been sick for at least a week."

"I'm fine."

"Molly…"

"It's not a complication."

"How is not…"

"It's not a complication!" Molly slammed her toothbrush against the sink. "There's nothing wrong with me! I just have the flu!"

"You don't just have the flu. You don't have a fever. And even if it is just the flu, then there's potions you can…"

"Shove it, Lorcan."

She bristled by him and again and continued down the stairs, fully aware of his heavy tread behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lorcan asked, grabbing her wrist. "Are you purposefully putting yourself in a dangerous situation? Are you deliberately killing yourself?"

"I'm not killing myself."

"You might as well be."

"There is no way in the world that doing this is killing myself."

She stepped into the kitchen and started pouring water in the teapot, hoping a good cup of tea would settle her stomach a touch.

"Sit down," Lorcan demanded, pushing her into a chair. She collapsed under the persistent weight of his hands and cradled her aching head. Lorcan bumbled around the kitchen.

"Peppermint," she said suddenly, looking up at him.

"What?"

"Peppermint tea."

He looked down at the canister he had in his hand and put it back on the shelf. Molly folded her arms on the table, resting her head in their crux. Her head throbbed with a regular pattern reminiscent of a drumbeat, her stomach churning with the vibrancy of a violin, her muscles as tense as the strings on a guitar. Damn it. It was like her entire body was revolting against her. Her chest began to ache when she breathed.

"Hey…what just happened? Are you ok? Why're you breathing shallow?" Lorcan looked at her, an alarmed look on his face.

"Nothing," she said, struggling to breath. "I'm just out of…" A sharp pain stabbed her lower back. She sat up straight, tears coming to her eyes. She was stabbed again, a soft sound of pain escaping from her lips.

"I'm going to pick you up," he said, wrapping his strong arm behind her shoulders.

"No…Lorcan…I'm just achy…"

"No you aren't." He picked her up and disapparated.


	10. March 2

Molly pushed Lorcan away and ran over to the trashcan, vomiting bile. Lorcan's hand was on her back in a few seconds, gently rubbing.

"You shouldn't have apparated," she muttered, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. Her head started hurting, her vision blurring, the sharp pain in her lower back beginning again. She tightened her jaw.

"It was the quickest…"

"I think I need to sit down," she said, putting her hands on her back. Her heart pounded against her chest, the pain beginning spread from the inside of her body out.

"Alright, come on," Lorcan said, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders and directing her to one of the cushioned chairs against the wall. She slowly lowered herself, the pressure against her back even worse than when she was standing. She leaned forward, tears beginning to prick her eyes. "I'm just going to take care of paperwork." Molly could hear his conversation with one of the healers.

"She needs to be seen right away." His tones were hushed, but full of urgency.

"So does everyone else in this place, young man. Now, if you don't mind…"

"You don't understand."

"What don't I understand?"

"She has magical dependence. If this is something affecting her magic…"

"I'm sure it's just the flu, sir."

"She's been ill for weeks."

"Weeks?"

"Yes, weeks."

"Transferrance?"

"Yes."

"Sexually active?"

There was a pause. Molly's head throbbed, bringing the discomfort to other parts of her body.

"Alright, bring her in."

"Molly, come on." A warm hand rested on her back. She looked up at Lorcan, tears stinging her cheeks. He pressed his lips together and helped her stand, a pulling sensation ripping apart her abdomen. A soft cry escaped from her lips.

"It's all right," Lorcan whispered, cupping her petite body against his. "It'll be fine."

She buried her face in his shirt, every muscle in her body aching. This wasn't just the flu. Lorcan laid her on the table, the pressure on her back making her want to scream. Tears poured out of her eyes. She struggled to sit up, but Lorcan kept her down.

"It hurts too much," she said. "Let me sit up." She struggled against his arm.

"You need to lay down and relax."

"My back is fucking killing me, Lorcan! I need to sit up!" She tried to push his arm off of her.

"It'll be ok." He gently brushed a lock of hair off her face. "I promise."

"No! It hurts so much. Please." She could barely breathe, the pressure on her chest overwhelming. Lorcan backed off and she sat up, gasping for breath, her eyes squeezed shut, her lower lip quivering. She clenched her jaw together and gripped the edge of the table, her fingernails digging into the padded surface.

"Alright, let's see," the healer said coming into the room. "How much pain are you in?"

"A lot," Molly muttered, struggling not to scream.

"Where?"

"Everywhere."

"How long?"

"Not long." A shock of lightening hit her lower back. She arched backwards and slowly slumped forward again.

"I see you have a dependence-transferrence complex. When was the last time you menstruated?"

"I…I don't have a menstrual cycle…"

The healer looked up from his clipboard.

"I took the potion…" She struggled to swallow against the nausea rising in her throat.

"When?"

"Sixteen."

"And you're twenty seven?" He looked up from his clipboard again.

"Yeah." She bit her lower lip as her stomach clenched tightly.

"Alright. I'll be right back with someone who will know how to handle your situation better."

He left.

Molly looked at Lorcan, her heart skipping a tight beat. Lorcan looked like he had just seen a ghost, his eyes wide and face pale. Both of them knew it wasn't good.

"What could it be?" Molly whispered.

Lorcan shook his head.

"Fuck."

"It'll be fine." Lorcan sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Everything will be alright."

"No."

"Yes, Molly. Nothing's going to happen to you."

She couldn't stop herself from sobbing. The door swung open and Victoire walked in.

"Molly?" She stopped in her tracks.

"What're you doing here?" Molly looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'm in transferred to the natal unit…St. Mungo's has the best in the continent. I was interested in learning more…I think I have the wrong room." She left for a second and checked the number. She came back in, a bit apprehensive. "You have DTC?" Her blue eyes flashed with a sort of excited curiosity. She checked her papers. "They told me I'd find this one interesting…"

"Wait…n-natal unit?" Molly's fingers pressed into Lorcan's arms. His arms tightened around her.

"Well, nothing's confirmed, of course. We're just taking precautions. I have three potions I need you to take."

"What do they do?" Lorcan asked.

"Um…well…one of them forces menstruation…the other secures against further ovulation…and the third will prep your blood for tests to tell us if you were pregnant or not…"

"_Were_ pregnant?" The word made Molly's heart flutter.

"The first potion will ensure the abortion of the fetus." Molly felt the blood drain from her face. "Assuming there is one, of course."

"I-I'm not taking it," she said. "And…and how can I be pregnant? I took the potion."

"The potion wears off after ten years. You were supposed to get a new shot when you turned twenty six."

Molly pinched her nose between her eyes. Her and Lorcan never used protection. They thought they didn't have to.

"This isn't good," Lorcan muttered, his arms loosening around Molly's waist.

"If you don't take the potion, then we don't know what we can do for you."

"Liar," Molly said suddenly. "You want the challenge."

Victoire looked at her, her mouth slightly open and her fair face red with embarrassment.

"No," she said suddenly, trying to deny it. "I want to do what's best for you. The best thing to ensure your health is to take the potion."

"I'm not doing it."

"Why not?"

Molly looked at Victoire, an indescribable feeling coming over her. Everything she thought she could never have -- a genuine, normal family -- was in her reach. She could see it. It was inside of her, waiting to come to fruition. She couldn't kill that. She couldn't destroy it.

"I…I just can't kill a b-baby…"

"Alright." Victoire hung her head. "I need to take some blood. And you need to be admitted."

"Wait," Lorcan said suddenly, standing up. He was nearly half a foot taller than Victoire. "Give her the potion."

"No!" Molly said loudly. "Lorcan, stop it! I'm not taking the potion."

"You don't know what you're doing. You're going to die, Molly. I don't think you know this."

"I'm not going to die."

"What's the survival rate?"

"Mother or baby?" Victoire asked and punctuated it with a sigh.

"Mother."

"Eighty percent."

"Baby?"

"Sixty."

Silence.

"Admit me."

"No!" Lorcan turned back to Molly, his face wrought with fury. "The baby's going to die anyway! There's no point in you risking your life!"

"I'm not risking my life! I'm being a fucking mother!"

Lorcan shook his head. "I don't want to see you die for something that's going to die anyway."

"He's not going to die."

"It's going to kill you."

"He's not going to kill me."

"How do you know?"

Molly shrugged. "I don't want to argue about this."

Lorcan stood up and opened the door. "I just need a few minutes." He shut the door after him.

"What's the treatment?" Molly asked.

Victoire sat down and took a deep breath.

"He's right. You should take the potion."

She shook her head.

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"This isn't going to be fun or easy or something that you'll look back fondly on. If this child dies, then you're going to regret it."

"I'm not going to let him die."

Victoire nodded silently and flipped through the papers on her clipboard.

"Basically what's going on right now is that the proteins that carry magic to your organs are malfunctioning. The current theory is that the hormones subdue the production of the proteins and eventually stop it. That's why some women lose some magical ability during pregnancy or get more. It's a natural side effect. So what we'll do during your pregnancy is pump you with proteins from someone with a magical match and then after develop a potion regimen to stimulate the production of your glands."

"How is that difficult?"

"Finding a match to your magic is nigh impossible. If we don't find one in three months, then you're going to die and there's nothing we can do. Until then, we'll need to keep you here. And even when we do find one, there's no guarantee your immune system will accept them, which means we may need to put you on an immunosuppressant, which gets very messy."

"What's the odds of finding a match?"

"One in five hundred."

Silence.

Lorcan came back into the room, his eyes a bit red, but otherwise composed. He stood by the door, silent.

"Like I said," Victoire continued. "Your safest bet would be to take the potion."

She shook her head again and Molly would have sworn Lorcan grimaced slightly.

"Alright, then we need to get a magic profiler in here. I believe Scorpius Malfoy is our only bet so far. We'll make an appointment with him as soon as possible. Until then, you need to be admitted into the hospital. An apprentice will be in shortly to assist you in that process."

Molly nodded and Victoire stood up.

"Hey, Vick?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't tell anyone."

"You know I can't." Victoire grinned and left them alone.


	11. March 3

"You haven't eaten anything," Lily said casually, playing with the bandage wrapping her arm. She leaned back in the chair and put her feet up on Molly's bed. "You really should, you know."

"I'm not hungry." Molly closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillows. They cradled her body in a way that her back didn't hurt and comforted her limbs in a way that her muscles did not hurt.

"You should still try to eat something."

"Why? So I can vomit it back up? I don't think so."

"Come on. You know you want to. Besides, if you want the baby to be healthy…"

"The baby's fine. I'm the one that's dieing."

"You aren't dying."

"Tell that one to Lorcan."

"Speaking of King Geek, where is he?" Lily casually bit her fingernails.

"Getting tested."

"For?"

"Magic type."

"That's what I'm here for, right?" Lily took her feet off the bed. "Victoire's doing the testing?"

"Um…not really…"

"Then, who…"

The door opened and Lorcan came in, his gaze lowered. Molly's heart sunk. Lorcan wasn't a match. Not that she had expected anything less. His wand core was a dragon heartstring and hers was a unicorn hair. But still, a bit of her had hoped.

"Alright, Lily," a low voice said from the door. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Oh, fuck me," Lily muttered. "Why didn't you tell me it was Scorpius, Molly?"

"You wouldn't have come."

Lily rolled her eyes and drew herself from the chair, following him out.

"I'm sorry," Lorcan whispered, sitting down in the chair.

"It's not your fault."

"Everything'll be fine, right?" He took her hand and grinned weakly at her.

"Of course."

3

"The closest match is Lily," Scorpius said, looking at Lorcan, Molly, Lily, Lou, Hugo, Rose, Greg, Albus, James, Dom, Vicky, Geoff, Flick, Flora, Roxanne, Fred, Aunt Ginny, and Uncle Harry.

"Shit," Lily muttered, her arms crossed resolutely over her chest.

"My sentiments exactly," Scorpius muttered. "we should begin the process of stimulating protein production."

Lily rolled her eyes and stood up. Molly caught how she held herself taller and arched her back slightly to make her already large breasts look bigger. Whether it was conscious or not was another matter.

"That is not going to end well," James muttered, rubbing his red hair.

"You can say that again," Albus muttered.

"That's not going to end well," Fred said.

3

Molly looked next to her at Lily, the auror's hands shaking, her eyes closed, sweat beading on her forehead. Molly wasn't sure if she was sleeping. Based on the time -- three o'clock -- she would say so. But she herself wasn't asleep, so it was hard to say. She rolled over a few times, restless. Sudenly, she sat up, screaming.

"Teddy! Teddy!" She looked around fervently, her eyes frantic. "Where's my father? Fuck!" She put her hands to her head. "Francis…Francis….Francis…Where's my father!" She tried to get out of bed, but stopped, finding herself dizzy.

The door to their room opened and Scorpius came in, a potion in his hands.

"What's wrong?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I need to talk with my father…Francis…Francis…"

"Hey, Lily, Lily? Look at me. It's just the extra proteins, ok? They're making you loopy."

"No! He's heading into a vampire coven! It's near the spring! The coven…"

Scorpius's hands slipped off of her shoulders.

"Is everything alright?" Vicky asked from the doorway.

"Get Head Potter in here. He needs to hear this. Lily, just lay back, ok?"

"I'm going to forget!" She gripped the front of his shirt and drew him close to her face. "I'm going to forget!"

"Where is he?"

"Albanian forest."

"Where in Albania?"

"I don't…I don't know." She let go of him and buried her face in her hands. "I…I don't even know if it's Albania…"

"It's ok, Lil. Just tell me what you can see." Scorpius's voice was low and soft, as if he had done this many times before.

"There are mountains coming up from the forest, tall ones. With white on them. There aren't any animals in the forsest. There's a spring. Silver in the moonlight…it's full…" Her voice fell into a trance, describing what was in her mind. "Francis is alone. He doesn't know where the others are. The coven has isolated him. They're going to change him. They don't want to eat him. They know he's powerful. They know he'd do them well."

She looked up at Scoprius. Even in the dark, Molly knew her eyes were wild.

"They've got him."

She bowed her head and started sobbing, her shoulders shaking. Scorpius sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She returned the embrace and sobbed into his shirt. She feel asleep.

Uncle Harry came into the room, his plaid pajama pants dragging on the floor.

"What is it?" he asked.

"She had a vision," Scorpius said slowly. "Francis has gotten captured by vampires. She thinks they've changed him."

Molly could feel Uncle Harry stiffen.

"Thank you," he said briefly before running out.

"Hey, Molly?" Victoire asked.

"Er…yeah?" Molly whispered.

"Get to sleep, will you? If you want, I can give you a sleeping potion…"

"No…they make me sick to my stomach."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Molly wrapped her arms around her abdomen.

"Ok."

3

Lorcan held Molly's hand after she took the four potions Vicky had given her -- one for nutrition, one for pain, one for the protein, and one to help with nausea. She wasn't feeling any of them. Her stomach still churned uncomfortably and her body still felt as if she had been run over by a muggle bus. Lily was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to hers, her arm reinjured in a rampage she went on a few nights ago about Francis. Evidently the increased magic in her system was making her a touch loopy. At least, that's what Vicky was saying.

She inhaled deeply against the pain ebbing away at the back of her head and closed her eyes.

"Still painful?" Lorcan asked gently, brushing a lock of hair off her face.

"Mmm. I thought it was supposed to go down after a few days of treatment."

"It is," Victoire said, sidling into the room. Lily groaned and rolled over. "Your blood isn't taking the proteins anywhere. They're going straight to your liver and being excreted."

"That's not good, is it?" Lorcan asked.

"No. It's not. We're looking for a new match, still in the family."

"I don't want anyone but Harry or Ginny to know," Molly said frantically, sitting up despite the dizziness that quickly disoriented her. Lorcan gently pushed her back against the bed.

"Your father is already being tested. We haven't called in Lucy, yet."

"He's going to kill me." Molly groaned and looked at Lorcan. "How could you let this happen?"

"How could I let this happen?" He put his hand to his chest. "I didn't let anything happen. This was Vick's doing. I had nothing to do with it. This is the first time I'm hearing about it, too, and I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of your father killing me."

"Ugh."

"Scorpius thinks he'll be a perfect match," Victoire said. "Evidently, you have almost identical wands. Same length, same core, and evidently very similar woods."

"I…I thought his core was a heartstring?" Molly dropped the pillow to her lap.

"That's what he's registered as, too. Evidently shortly after you were born, he had to get another wand, and that's the one that chose him." Victoire made a note on her board. "Most of the Weasleys do have a unicorn core: Ginny, Ron, Bill, Lucy, Percy, George, Fred, Dom, Hugo, and if Lily hadn't gotten an experimental wand, she probably would have ended up with a unicorn core. Hippogriff. What a joke."

"He's a match," a low voice said from the door. Scorpius leaned against the doorjamb, his thumbs hooked in the pockets of his black pants, and his glasses crooked on his face. "I don't know how, and I don't know why, but he's a match."

"How close?" Victoire asked, turning towards the wandmaker.

"Bullseye close."


	12. March 4

When Molly opened her eyes from the sleep induced by Victoire's sleeping draught, her father was standing over her, his face slightly pale and his business suit pristine as always. She jumped a bit, expecting Lorcan with a messy head of hair or Lily with bags under her eyes. Not her father.

"I just wanted to tell you," he said, his voice low. "I'm not going to tell your mother or your sister."

Molly sighed in relief. He nodded and folded his tall body into the chair. He sat like Lorcan, she noticed with slight alarm. The way his back was straight, his feet flat on the floor, his arms resting on the arm rests. Unease settled into her chest. Lorcan looked a bit more natural. But it didn't change the facts.

"Why…why aren't you going to tell them?" Her voice was hoarse.

"You're a woman. You can tell them."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"They're going to kill me."

"No more than they're going to kill me when they figure out I've kept it from them."

Molly stared at her father, her mouth slightly open. They were going to flay him alive.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm a sure a stolid Gryffindor like yourself can handle something as mundane as a Hufflepuff and a muggle." He stood up, his hands limp at his side, and strode out of the room.

Her mum and sister were going to stone them.

3

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Lily asked, scratching her head and looking around Molly's room back at Grimmauld place.

"Positive," Molly muttered, laying down on her bed, her body aching for sleep.

"Ok." She left, silently closing the door behind her. Molly closed her eyes and wrapped the blanket tightly around her shoulders.

"Hey, Molls?"

"Go away, Lorcan. I'm sleeping," she groaned, burying her face in her pillow.

"Look, I just wanted to…"

She groaned again and sat up.

"What do you want?"

"Uh…I just wanted to see if you needed anything."

"You mean other than sleep?"

"There's no need to be angry with me. I was just wondering. Merlin!" He ran his hand through his hair, putting his hair on end, and rubbed his face. "Alright. I'll send you an owl tomorrow. Ok?"

"Yeah," she muttered, trying to stay awake.

"Good night."

"Mmm."

He walked over and kissed her lightly on the cheek before leaving. Molly's head hit the pillow. She stayed awake for two hours before finally falling asleep.

3

If there was one thing Molly did not expect when entering the kitchen, it was Flora sitting at the table. If there was something she had expected even less, it was Flora crying at the kitchen table. Molly sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" she said softly, pushing a dirty blonde lock of curly hair off her face.

Flora started and looked horrified at Molly.

"N-nothing," she stuttered, wiping the tears from her face. Molly gave her a skeptical look.

"It's obviously not nothing."

"Well it's certainly not s-something." Tears started coming down her cheeks again.

Molly sighed and stood up.

"Do you want some tea?"

"Um…yeah?"

Molly started bustling around the kitchen.

"Eggs?" She looked over her shoulder.

"I…I guess so…"

"Alright, so what're you doing here, anyways?"

"I just…I had to…I had to get away…"

"How'd you get here?"

"Um…" Flora looked at the ground. "I apparated…"

Molly nearly dropped the pot.

"You what?" She turned around and stared the fourth year fidgeting with the hem of her blue tee-shirt.

"I just…it was…and then I…and she…and…and…" She started crying again, her face buried in her hands. "I don't know!"

Molly turned on the stove and gently rubbed Flora's back.

"It's ok, whatever it is. You might get a few detentions for apparating, but…"

"And I had everything planned out, too, like you wouldn't believe. I actually thought about where we were going to go and what I was going to do….and then she told me _that_."

"What'd she say?"

"She told me she was cheating on me with Taryn, the Gryffindor fifth year? Taryn isn't even that attractive. All she has is fucking boobs!" Flora hit the table. Molly felt shock wash over her; of all the things she was expecting Flora to explode about, that was the last. Slowly, Flora looked up at Molly, a terrified look on her face. Her voice dipped to barely a whisper. "You can't…you can't tell anyone that…no one. Not even my mum or Lily or anyone."

"Not…not even Lou?" Molly tentatively said.

"Especially not him!" Flora jumped up from the table and started pacing, her hands lodged in her pockets, her mind almost visibly churning.

"Lily really doesn't care, you know."

"Lily's a fucking Slytherin. She'll use it against me to get me to do stuff like the dishes. I don't want to be under anyone's control." Her fists clenched at her side.

"Sit down. I'll make you some pancakes."

Flora stopped pacing and looked at Molly as if she had three heads. Molly pulled out the griddle and started cooking.

"So what house are you in?" Molly asked, pouring some freshly made batter onto the pan and changing the subject.

"Hufflepuff," Flora muttered. "I hate it. I feel so ostracized all the time. No one has half a brain and if they do, they hide it. It's ridiculous. I wish I was in Ravenclaw. It's not even hard to get into their common room. I found it first year. A riddle as the password? Please. You've got to be kidding. You'd think they would have something better than that."

Molly looked over her shoulder at her and grinned.

"What kind of friends do you have?" Molly flipped a pancake and cracked an egg.

"Well…I used to fly with Polly, Ingrid, and Helen a lot, but they've…I don't know. It's not that I don't like them or anything. We just don't have that much in common anymore. All they ever talk about is who's hotter -- Leon or Ian. And I really don't care. Obviously." She crossed her arms and tilted her head back to look at the ceiling.

"Are they all Hufflepuff?"

"Yeah. We live together."

"Do they…uh…know?"

"How can they not? Sarah never let me go anywhere alone. It was almost annoying, really."

"What house was she in?"

"Hufflepuff. And I'm never dating another Hufflepuff. They're way too flighty. Fucking retarded is what it is."

Molly grinned. That pretty much summed up the majority of Hufflepuffs in her day, too, if she remembered correctly, with some minor exceptions, of course.

"Now I pretty much stay with the quidditch team."

"Do you play?"

"Um…yeah."

"What position?"

"Beater," she murmured. Molly looked over and saw the Weasley blush burning Flora's cheeks to a crisp.

"Why're you embarrassed about that? It takes a lot of work for a girl to be beater."

"No one _ever_ approves of me playing beater. But I don't have the patience to be chaser and I'll be damned if I ever play keeper and forget about seeker because my broom sucks. I have good balance. I can play beater."

"Do you have a good swing?"

"Several." Molly could hear the grin her voice. "I have a traditional swing, of course, and then more of a slash to beam idiots over the top of the head. I knocked a Gryffindor out once with that one. Then, of course, I can put a spin on it to throw them all off."

"How much power do you have?" Molly had no idea what she just asked.

"Well, not that much. I mean, I do lift weights with Tom three times a week, just build the muscle in my arms, but most of my power comes from my core and legs. The broom I use is extremely sturdy and I've basically trained it not to move when both my hands are off so I can use it for leverage. Well, it knows what I want it to do, basically. Tom and I charmed it up back at the beginning of second year when I began training for the position. Not many Hogwarts beaters do that, though, so it gives us a distinct advantage. I'm still trying to improve my speed, though, and I think I need a new broom but mum won't let me have one. Raul thinks they're too expensive but between the two of them, they make like a hundred thousand galleons a year, so I don't get it."

Molly put a plate of eggs and pancakes in front of Flora.

"This is a lot of food," she muttered, poking the large pancake with her fork.

"You're not hungry?" Molly sat down with a couple eggs and a cup of tea.

"No, I just…didn't expect you to cook me a meal, is all." She picked up her knife and started cutting. "I still don't get it. I mean…yeah, Taryn might be prettier than me…but I mean, Sarah didn't even hint that something was wrong until today. It was like she suddenly made up her mind to ditch me." She took a drink of juice. "And I can't be all glum and mopy at school because they'll all think something's wrong and I already _know_ Sarah's made her and Taryn public. Ugh." She rolled her eyes and shoved some egg down her throat. "It's like none of them can even be civil. It's ridiculous. I don't know what the sorting hat was thinking by putting me in Hufflepuff. I should be a Ravenclaw." She shook her head.

"So are you going to play quidditch when you're out of school?"

"Aboslutely not," she said sharply, shaking her head. "I've already been recruited by the Duelist Association of Europe. They want me in. I don't even like quidditch."

"Then why do you play?"

She looked up and gave Molly an impish grin.

"The Ravenclaw keeper," she said and bit her lip. "The showers are for both teams and we're the only two girls, so…" She shrugged. "It's nice."

"Have you two…gotten physical?"

"No. Not at all. I wasn't even physical with Sarah. She didn't even tell me she wanted more. She went off to find a pair of breasts." Flora rolled her eyes. "Disgusting. Besides, I don't even know if Emily likes girls. She could be into cats, for all I know." She grabbed a piece of her hair and put it in front of her face. "And I need to get my hair back. Because if I don't, then everyone will know something's wrong. This sucks." She folded her arms and rested her head on their pillow. "Why did this happen to me?" She looked up at Molly.

"I…I don't know. Relationships usually have their ups and downs."

"You and Lorcan seem to be fine."

"We used to fight worse than Hugo's parents back at school. I'm honestly surprised we haven't had a major argument yet."

"Mmm." Flora tapped her fingers against the table. "How can I get my hair back?'

"I haven't a clue."

"I have to go before someone notices I'm not in Hogsmeade anymore." Flora stood up, an indescribable sadness still wrapped around her. "Thanks for talking. And promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise."

Molly watched as she dragged her feet out the front door and apparated away. Fourteen. Wasn't that a bit young for apparating? She shook her head and started scrubbing pans.


	13. April 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter -- go figure.

April 1

"The last thing you wanted to do in Hogwarts was walk into a corridor where Molly and Lorcan were fighting. You'd get cursed. Or hexed. Or punched. Or a desk would hit your face. Trust me. They've all happened."

--James

3

Molly took four potions for pain and her back still felt like someone was stabbing it with a cattle prod. She struggled against an overwhelming sense of fear swelling within her. It was nothing more than a bit of pain. It meant nothing. It was just normal.

Right?

She stood up from the table and paced back and forth, her hands on her back. She bit her lip and sat back down, struggling to maintain a firm grip on her emotions. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She didn't like the way her chest ached. Damn it. Why did her chest ache?

"Hey, Molls," Lorcan said, noisily coming into the kitchen.

"Hey," she replied, forcing a half-grin.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, crossing his arms.

"Nothing," she muttered, again forcing a grin.

"Something's wrong." He looked around the kitchen and his eye caught sight of the four vials on the counter. "Four potions for what?" His tone was low and threatening.

Molly stared at her hands. He would insist something was wrong.

"Molly? Molly!" His voice cut through her. "What hurts?"

"Nothing. It's nothing, Lorcan. I'm just…I'm not feeling all that well, and…"

"I'm not _fucking_ around with you!" His face was red, his hands balled at his side. "What's wrong!"

"I'm just…I'm just not feeling well!" She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"I don't buy it."

"Lorcan…"

"Come on…"

"No."

"You need to see a healer, Molly. You've made me agree to this, so now I'm seeing it through. Come on. I'm not letting anything happen to you."

He grabbed her arm and tugged on it in an effort to get her to stand.

"Lorcan…."

"Molly."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because there's something wrong." He tossed some powder on the fire and stepped into it, Molly securely held against his body, and flooed.

3

Molly laid in the hospital bed, knowing something was wrong. Victoire had left half an hour ago and still hadn't come back. Lorcan was pacing back and forth, his hands lodged in his pockets.

"You need to stop doing that," she said, shifting uncomfortably against the bed. "You're making me nervous…"

Lorcan stopped and glared at her. He sat down and started tapping his foot against the linoleum floor. Her back continued to ache. The door opened and Victoire shuffled in, her head focused on a clipboard and her lips pressed together.

"What is it?" Lorcan asked.

"The fetus is not developing on the normal curve."

"Would that effect her functions?" Lorcan demanded, his voice a bit sharper than he intended.

"Um…no. That's natural."

"Natural? What do you mean, natural? How is not being able to breathe natural? That isn't natural!"

"Lorcan," Victoire said, holding out her hand in an effort to calm him. "It's natural _for her condition_. Ok?"

"No, actually, it's not."

"Well, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about it."

"Then find something to do about it because I'm not going to let her die!" Lorcan stood up, his normally pale face bright red, his hands clenched in massive fists at his side.

Molly felt her chest tightened and struggled to breathe.

"Scamander!" Victoire shouted, her blue eyes black. "Get the fuck out of here, now!"

"This is my child, too, I have a right!"

"Not if you keep shouting! And not if you're putting extraneous stress on my patient! Now get out!"

"I'm not putting…!"

"Lorcan," Molly said, her voice harsh. "Get out. If you can't be calm." Her hands balled her sheet in response to a back spasm. "I can't deal. Not right now."

Lorcan looked over at her, a furious look on his face. At the sight of her visible pain, the way her cheeks were red and blotchy, her eyes narrowed, her jaw tight, her hands clenched, he looked at Victoire, fury turned to fright, and nodded.

"Ok," he said. "I'll leave."

The door slammed shut behind him.

"I'm going to be honest with you," Victoire said, glancing at her clipboard. "There isn't much we can do about this. In fact, we really don't have any idea what's causing this."

"What are you talking about?" Molly asked, pressing her palm to her head. "I…I didn't catch any of it as you were yelling. At Lorcan."

"Your fetus -- the baby -- it isn't growing like it should be. It's growth is restricted, you understand?"

"So…?"

"It's small. It should be larger."

"And that's not good?"

"No. No it isn't."

Molly bit her lip and closed her eyes. "What can be done about it?"

"Close monitoring. A few tests. Proper nutrition. I'm going to suggest you get out of Grimmauld Place. I can't imagine it's helping you at all."

"What? Why? How can a place impact my health?"

"Lily did a fantastic job fixing that place up, but there's a lot she missed, too. Not to mention Louis's current attitude can't be conducive to children. I think the Blacks probably put a curse on it or something to deter non-Slytherins."

"Then where do you suggest I go?" Molly crossed her arms. There wasn't anywhere else she could go.

"With Rose."

"Wait, let me get this straight. You think I'll be better suited in a house with three young boys than in a house with two adults?"

"Yep." Victoire shrugged.

"And what do you think?"

"I think I'm not experienced enough to make this call."

"Are you sure this is the only option?"

"Here's the deal, I'm going to be frank. There are two reasons for this, but if you say a word to Rose, I'm going to kill you."

"Fine."

"The first is that Grimmauld place isn't the best place for anyone. Lily's a Slytherin, I think that's why she can handle it. But I know for a fact that Louis is losing his mind in there. I'm working on getting him out. Flora is somehow immune, too, but don't ask me why. It's probably because of Teddy. I don't know. Secondly, Rose isn't doing well. She's too stressed. Between hanging onto her job by a string and having this pregnancy being her most difficult, she's going to crack. She needs someone competent. Greg is about to lose his mind, too. He's having trouble juggling worrying about the boys and worrying about her. Not to mention he's heading up a new campaign in the wizengamot. There's only so much of them to go around."

"Does Lorcan know?"

"I think your dad's telling him right now."

"My dad knows?"

"He was instrumental in figuring this whole thing out. Quite a smart man, Uncle Perce. You should listen to him more. He knows what he's talking about."

"Yeah, sure, just like you listen to Uncle Bill."

Victoire grinned and shook her head.

"Lorcan and your father will drop your stuff off at Rose's and you'll follow in a few days."

"A few days?"

"For testing. We just need to make sure there aren't diseases or anything."

"Do you think that's a possibility?"

"Yes."

"Ok."


	14. April 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Potter property.

Molly groaned softly. Lorcan looked over at her. Was she finally waking up? Her head fell back against the pillow, her eyes closing. Her hands rested on her abdomen. On their baby. His heart skipped a beat. Their baby. He bit his lip. Two weeks. Two weeks and he was gone. Gone risking his life again, gone trying to forget about her, gone jeopardizing his future.

The door opened. Mr. Weasley stood there, his red hair splintered with gray, his spindly arms hanging at his side. He gently closed the door behind him and sat across from Lorcan.

"I don't think she's ever slept this much," Mr. Weasley said.

"Every now and then she'd just sleep for a weekend," Lorcan said softly. "She said she was stocking up on hours to use later."

"Did she?"

"Did she what?"

"Use them?"

"More than Wolfe would have liked."

If Lorcan hadn't known Mr. Weasley better, he would have sworn he grinned.

"I've been talking with Luna," Mr. Weasley said. "She says you're scheduled to move out on the twenty third."

Lorcan sighed.

"Have you discussed this with Molly?"

"There really isn't anything to discuss…"

"You don't believe that any more than I do."

Lorcan looked up at him, his eyes cutting through him even in the dark. He scratched his blonde hair and looked down at Molly stirring again. Again, she fell back to sleep.

"There's only so much distraction Rose's boys will give her," Mr. Weasley said. "She's…she's going to be devastated when she remembers…"

"You think she forgot?" Lorcan knew the answer.

"With all that's going on? Yes."

"She's going to kill me."

"She'll hex you to the next century."

Lorcan sighed. "Do you think Grimmauld Place did…did anything lasting…?" He felt his chest tighten inexplicably. Mr. Weasley visibly eased up, his head bowing.

"I don't know, Lorcan. These are crucial months. I don't think anyone would have thought the Blacks would…I think we all thought the place was harmless. We used it for headquarters back in the war. It was fine then. Although…although no one would really notice. Everyone was very tense back then."

"I thought you didn't fight in the war." Lorcan absentmindedly twisted the string to his sweatshirt in his fingers.

"Right. I was mostly clean up post- Battle of Hogwarts." There was a touch of bitterness in his voice. Regret, maybe? Lorcan didn't know.

"So…you think the baby'll die?"

"Die? I doubt it. Molly's from a hearty brood. Her grandmother bore seven of us, for goodness's sake. No. She won't let your baby die. She'll kill herself first."

"That's what I'm afraid of…"

"Vicky won't let her die."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Vicky's the best Lycanthropologist in the world. She's sharp as a tack and more skilled at what she does than Hugo."

"Lycanthropy has nothing to do with it, though…"

"No. It has everything to do with it. In order to understand Lycanthropy, you need understand the way in which the magic proteins interact with the body. In the case of Lycanthropes, the protein has a malformation which causes it to interact with the body oddly when reacted to the full moon as a trigger."

"I still don't understand."

"Molly…Molly was born premature…but you probably already know this, don't you?"

"No…she never…she never really told me anything about it."

"Well, when she was born, her organs weren't properly formed. There were a lot of iniquities. There still are. Which is why she's having so much difficulty now, even with my proteins. What ended up happening was that her magical proteins bound themselves to her organs, which greatly reinforced them. In the long-run, it changed the entire structure of the proteins. They're abnormal. They don't function right. Whenever her hormones change, their production gets thrown off, which is why pregnancy is such a problem. She used to take a potion to regulate the hormonal glands. She can't, now, or it'll inhibit the maturation of the child."

Mr. Weasley took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Abnormal magical proteins," he continued. "It's what it all comes down to. Vicky's as close to specialist in this area as you can be. Rumor has it she's going to look at vampires in Albanian hospitals in a few years, if she can get clearance from St. Mungo's and wherever it is she works in Italy." He yawned and scratched his graying head. "All her things are at Rose's. I'm glad she's getting out of Grimmauld Place."

Lorcan nodded, silent.

Molly stirred and cracked open her eyes. She glanced at Lorcan and groaned, rolling over and closing her eyes again.

"What's the time?" she muttered.

"One fifteen," Lorcan said softly, gently putting a hand on her arm, glancing cautiously at her father.

"Oh, fuck," she muttered. "I might as well go back to bed, then. I just slept away all fucking morning." She flopped on her back and stared at the ceiling. Out of the corner of her eye she caught her father and jumped.

"Good morning, Molly," he said and put a stack of clothes on the edge of her bed. "When you're ready, put those on. You're leaving."

"With you?"

"With us," Lorcan said, quickly reaffirming his presence.

She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes. Lorcan and Mr. Weasley exchanged glances.

"Do you think she's still asleep?" Lorcan whispered.

"I'm not fucking asleep, Lorcan. Merlin's saggy left butt cheek, you'd think I was deaf the way you two go on about me."

Mr. Weasley adjusted his glasses, the infamous Weasley blush creeping up his neck.

"Damn it." She leaned over and vomited between her father's legs, the bucket between her feet.

"Here." Mr. Weasley offered her a glass of water.

Molly swished it around her mouth and spat it out in the bucket.

"Are you ready now?" he asked, his hand on his daughter's back.

"Yeah." There was an edge of disgust in her tone and she slowly stood up and started to get dressed.


	15. April 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the venerable property of Harry of the Potters or any subsequent characters. So there. I win.

Lorcan wrapped his arms around Molly's waist. She breathed slowly, his fingertips feeling the breath come in and go out. Her hand wrapped around his. Four days. He was leaving in four days. He squeezed her fingers. And they still haven't talked about it. He could hear Joey running in the main room with Adam and Quinn, the three of them playing cowboy or something. He put his nose in her hair and inhaled, loving the sweet vanilla scent.

"Lorcan?" Molly said softly, shifting slightly against his body.

"Mmm?"

"Luna…Luna told me you were leaving."

Her hand fell limp in his. He loosened his grip.

"Are you really leaving?" She pulled away from him and rolled to face him on the bed.

He looked into her deep blue eyes, the question held there breaking his heart. He nodded.

"Can I go with you?"

He shook his head.

"Why not?"

"It's…it's no place for a pregnant woman."

"I know for a fact your mother was on the field when she had you and Lysander."

"And now look at us. I'm sure you don't want…"

"Bull shit."

Lorcan blinked.

"We both know it," Molly said, her voice low. "I'm just as capable pregnant as not."

"First of all," he said, trying desperately to control his tone and pitch. "Your condition is making your pregnancy very risky. You need to be around top facilities. St. Mungo's offers those…"

"I'm sure wherever you're going has facilities, Lorcan." Her tone descended sharply, her cheeks beginning to flush.

"In the middle of the desert? Please. We don't even have proper bathrooms. There is no way I'm letting you go."

"What? You don't think I can handle it?" She sat up.

"That's not it!" Lorcan matched her pose. "That's not it at all! I'm not going to risk your safety for my convenience!"

"No! You're wrong. You're risking your convenience if I go! You just don't want me around you. Why don't you just fucking admit it, Lorcan?" She pulled out her wand and cast a silencing charm on the door. Shit. This was getting serious. "None of this was serious to you! You just thought it'd be a nice fuck and then you'd be on your way!"

"Why would I think that?" He put his hands on Molly's shoulders, gently trying to bring her back to rationale. She twitched away from him.

"Why wouldn't you? If you wanted me around, then you would have argued with my father about us moving in together!"

"Hold on, now!" Lorcan waved his hands around. "It was decided among the healers that you coming here was the best option. Besides, I knew I was leaving!"

"You knew?" She pulled out her wand and pointed it at him. "You knew and you didn't tell me? What kind of a man are you? You fucking twit!"

"Molly! _Protego_! Molly! Be rational!"

"You want me to be rational! You want me to be rational when you've kept this from me?"

"I didn't keep it from you! We just didn't talk about it!"

"Well, it certainly isn't my fault!"

"I didn't say it was your fault!"

"Well, then it's your fault!"

"_Protego_! Molly, listen to me!"

"I don't even know what I was thinking! _Stupio_! Listening to you as if nothing's changed! Letting you…letting us…all over again! And now you're leaving again! Just like before!"

Lorcan cracked.

"Now you listen here!" Lorcan grabbed her wand hand and pulled it away from her. "I wasn't the one who left! Do you understand? _You're_ the one who ran off to travel the continent! You're the one who left me three words as a goodbye! You're the one who refused to write! None of that is my fault!"

"How is that not your fault, Lorcan? How? You're the one that looked me straight in the eye after I told you _everything_ and told me you wanted kids! You're the one that told me we couldn't be together! You're the one that ran away from me!" Her eyes watered. "And now…now that…Merlin, Lorcan! I hate you! I hate you I hate you I hate you!" She pushed him. "Now that I'm giving you what you want, you're running! This is so like you, Lorcan!"

"I'm not fucking running! What the hell don't you understand about that?"

"Don't even try to defend yourself. I know you had an option last week to switch your position."

"I specialize in field work! Collecting data! Getting my fucking hands dirty, Molly, not sitting at a desk pouring over documents! Merlin! I would have killed myself if I had taken that position!"

"But you could have taken it! If you wanted this, then you could have…you could have…" She started crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You could have been here!" She wiped her face with her sleeve. "Get out."

"Molly…"

"Get out, Lorcan! And give me my bleeding wand!"

"Molly, you're missing the point!"

"What point is that? That you'd prefer to be out chasing fake animals than being here for me when I'm pregnant with your baby? I thought this was what you wanted!"

"It is what I want!"

"No it isn't. It isn't, Lorcan. Stop pretending. Just…just stop. You aren't fooling anyone."

"Molly…"

"Get out."

"Please, just listen…"

"I'm done with your excuses, Lorcan. Done."

Molly took her wand from his limp hand and left him standing there, alone. He stared at the closed door, at the messy bed, at the desk stacked with her papers, at the Manchester United poster, at everything. His stomach twisted. He had an irking feeling she was serious.


	16. April 4

Disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own Potter Property…

"Some things never change," Molly muttered, Lily sitting across from her at the kitchen table in the Burrow.

"Yeah." Lily twirled the spoon in her tea. "It'll be alright, Molly. Lorcan wasn't…Lorcan isn't exactly your type, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess."

"He cares too much about his work, too. Not devoted enough. Not a family man."

"Mmm."

"And he doesn't give a fuck when he's late."

"What?"

"Not to mention all he ever does is whine about how you don't spend enough time together." Lily's eyes narrowed. "Or how you don't understand the struggles he goes through." Her grip tightened on her spoon. "Or criticizes the way you drink coffee."

"Lily?"

"He's a fucking retard, Molly. Ignore him."

"What the hell did you get yourself into this time, Lily?" Molly asked, exasperated.

Lily looked up from her tea, her face flushed red.

"I…nothing." She went back to idly stirring. "So what are your plans?"

"Lily, you can't lie to me. You never have been able to."

"Ugh."

"Come on, Lil."

"I've been seeing Scorpius again."

"You what?"

"It was supposed to be a one-night thing, for posterity's sake, honest! But…it kind of…got out of control? You can't tell a soul, Molly, or I'll personally hunt you down."

"Alright, alright, I won't tell."

"He got taller," she muttered. "It's a pain to kiss standing."

"I think you just got shorter," Molly said through a grin.

"Yes, yes, I know I'm fucking short. Tell me something I don't already bloody know."

"You're in love."

Lily glared at her, a grin twitching her lips.

"Lily!" Flick shouted, running into the room.

"What?" Lily groaned, leaning back in her chair.

"Where's Jimmy? He said he was taking me and Geoff to the game today!"

"The game isn't until Saturday, Flick."

"No it isn't! I have it marked for today!"

"Flick, Lily's right," Geoff said from the doorway. "The game isn't until Saturday. You were looking at next month."

"Oh! Ok, then. Come on, Geoff, we have to finish our game."

They disappeared into the sitting room.

"I swear, she's going to be the death of me. Thank Merlin for Geoff. He somehow manages to keep her at least slightly level headed."

"Too bad you didn't have one of those in school…"

"Shove it, you. Do you want something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Have you eaten anything today?"

"Err…no?"

Lily glanced disapprovingly at her, but didn't shove anything down her throat like Grandma Weasley, Rose, Aunt Ginny, or anyone else would have.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do?" Lily asked.

"Stay at Rose's. Watch the young'uns. Try and keep order over there. I don't know. Wing it, maybe. I'm going to need to get a job after he's born. I don't know what I'm going to do about child care. I'm thinking my mum'll be willing. Most of what she does is from home, anyway."

"Yeah. When I'm out of commission, count me in. The kid can't be that difficult after these two." She nodded her head in the direction of the sitting room where Flick laughing hysterically could be heard.

"That's not funny," Geoff grumbled audibly. Flick laughed louder.

"I don't want to know," Lily muttered.


	17. May 1

AN: Sorry for only delivering three for May, the way the scenes fell this month lended themselves to a three-chap series versus the four I've been shooting for. And basically they all take place the week of May 2, which in my mind would turn into a massive wizarding holiday including having kids get out of school.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. There. I admitted it.

May 1

"Molly's always been independent. Not the kind of independent that's respectable. The kind of independent that gets you into trouble. In school, she wouldn't wear the uniform properly. At her first job, she refused to take the ugly piercing out of her lip. At home, she would never listen to us. I don't know. It's just how she's always been. Rebelliously independent. And stubborn. Just like her father."

-- Audrey

Rose walked through the fireplace and rubbed her face. The house was silent. The tv was on, but muted, Molly sitting on the couch in front of it, staring at the pictures without a word. She had the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her body caving in on itself, her knees to her chest and her arms around her knees.

"Molly, have you eaten today?" Rose asked gently, throwing her jacket on the table.

Molly shrugged and blinked.

"Did the boys give you any trouble?"

"No." Molly's voice was barely a whisper.

"Good." Rose wanted to smack some life into her, but instead put some soup onto the stove. "You should have some help next week. Flora and one of her friends are staying here. I think they'll stay in the attic. Lily's going on a trip, so they can't stay there, and Victoire is going to Italy with Raul."

"Mmm."

"They both play quidditch, so they'll probably be out back a lot, but they will be there if you need them. I hear Flora's really excited."

"That's good."

Rose sighed and scooped some soup into a bowl. She brought it to Molly.

"Eat," she said, offering her the bowl.

Molly stared at the bowl without moving.

"I'm…I'm really not…"

"I'm not giving you an option. You need to take care of yourself." Rose sat down next to her.

"I'm not hungry…"

"Fine. I'm not going to tell you what to do. You're an adult. You know what's at stake." Rose stood up and left Molly sitting there, staring at the flickering light of the television, a bowl of tomato soup in front of her.

The door clicked behind her. Stripping off her Cannons robes, she thought she heard crying. She wasn't sure.

3

Molly glanced at Adam sitting at the kitchen table, coloring. Joey was sitting at the activity table, doing a puzzle. Quinn was in the middle of the sitting room, playing with blocks. Rose was still sleeping. Molly flipped the pancakes.

"Molly?" a young voice said.

"Yeah, Adam?"

"Where's Lorcan?"

She looked over at the little boy, a blue crayon in his hand.

"He's working."

"When will he be back?"

"I don't think he will."

"You two fought, didn't you?"

"Do you want some pancakes?"

"Yep. Why isn't Lorcan coming back?" Adam climbed onto one of the stools behind the counter.

"We had a disagreement," Molly said, putting a plate of pancakes in front of Adam. "Joey, do you want some breakfast?"

"Yeah!" The seven year old climbed onto the stool eagerly.

"What did you disagree about?"

"About where I was going to live."

"That's stupid. You should live with him."

"Well, that's what I thought, too, but he thought I should live here. Quinn, come here and get your breakfast." The young kid toddled over to Molly. She picked him up and put him on the chair.

"I'm glad you're here." Adam rested his chin in his hands.

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm…you make the best pancakes." Grinning, the boy dove into his plate, splattering specks of syrup on the table. Molly sighed, her hands resting on her abdomen, and gave him a wry grin.

"Where's mum?" Joey picked up his orange juice.

"At an appointment." Molly leaned back against the counter and picked up a grape, her stomach gnawing with hunger.

"Another one?"

"Yep." Molly popped the grape in her mouth.

"What are they going to do?" He clicked the half-empty glass on the granite counter top.

"Figure out the gender of the baby." She grabbed another grape.

"Why? It's a boy," Adam said, his mouth half full of pancake.

"Walter!" Quinn screeched, a grin on his face.

"Yep." Adam grinned broadly.

"His name's going to be _Arthur_," Joey scorned.

"Yeah, whatever," Adam muttered, wiping his sticky hands on his pants.

"Why do you think his name's going to be Arthur?" Molly grabbed a handful of grapes.

"Because mum's been talking about Arthur a lot. How could that not be the baby's name?" Joey ate some honeydew. Molly took some more grapes.

"Arthur, huh?"

"Mhm!"

Molly finished her grapes and started scrubbing pans.

"What are we going to do today?" Adam asked, hopping off his stool.

"Do you and Joey want to practice flying?"

"Yeah. I guess so." Adam handed her his plate.

"You go get ready. Joey, help Quinn get into play clothes, will you?"

"Ugh. Come on, Quinn." Joey dragged the boy into his room.

Molly threw some more grapes in her mouth and finished the dishes, relishing in the way the hot water scalded her hands. She wiped down the counter, chuckled at Adam trying to coach Joey in getting Quinn in his pants.

_Knock knock knock._

"Come in!" Molly shouted.

The front door flew open and Lily sauntered in, followed by Flora, bronze hair, tight jeans, black sneakers, and a dark tee-shirt from some band.

"Come on, Em. What're you…ugh…" Flora ducked out of the doorway.

"Those two are something else," Lily said, sliding onto one of the stools at the counter. "Does Rose _know_ what she's getting into?"

"Doubt it," Molly said, drying dishes.

"Are you always working?" Lily glanced over her shoulder out the window at the two girls leaning against the hood of Lily's beat up car.

"Are you always staring at a couple of teenaged girls?"

"No. There's just something…off…about them," she said. "I think they might be more than friends. But I don't know."

"What house?"

"Em? Ravenclaw." Lily rested her chin on her hand. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"Does half a pound of grapes count?"

"You're on to that stage?" Lily grinned broadly, wisps of dark red hair coming free from her pony tail. She crossed her arms, the bandage gone but dark stitches still contrasting with her pale skin.

"Shove it, you." Molly grabbed a couple more grapes.

"Emily! Come on. What? No. Rose isn't even here, yet. Just get your bag and let's go. Yes, bring your broom. Lily won't come back here to bring it back. No, leave the air freshner. Merlin knows Lily needs it." Flora came into the house, a yellow and black backpack slung over her shoulder and a blue dufflebag in her hand. "Where am I going with this stuff?" Flora looked to Molly.

"Attic." Flora nodded and dashed to the tower. A girl a year older shuffled into the house, two brooms, a beater's bat, and a full bag of quidditch equipment on her back. She looked around, obviously awed by the house.

"Damn it," she whispered. "I can't believe I'm standing where _Daniels_ stands…"

She shook her head and walked after Flora, her boot cut jeans and baggy sweatshirt something Molly could see Rose wearing.

"She reminds me of Rose," Molly said.

"She won't for long," Lily said. "She's a whole lot more Ravenclaw than Rose could ever dream of being. Much more mild than either her or Greg." Lily picked at the bowl of grapes molly placed in front of her. "Nice girl, though."

"How're you and Scorpius?"

"Fine." Lily picked up another grape.

"How fine?"

"Fine enough that…" Lily looked up, wary.

"Fine enough that…?"

"Fine enough that he's spent quite a large amount of time at Grimmauld place and that I've spent quite a large amount of time at his wand shop."

Molly stared at her.

"What? It isn't like it's a crime or anything."

"You and Scorpius are really that serious again?"

"It's not like we can help it. You know grandma is pressuring me to find a man, and his mum is doing pretty much the same thing. No. It's difficult. I think he's trying to get me knocked up without me knowing it to get his mum off our backs."

"What?"

"Yeah, I know, that's what I said. And you know what he said? 'Oh, what? It's not like you really work at all, anyway. I mean, it's not like the department would have that much of a loss or anything you're always injured…' Oh, yeah, I gave him that look, too, and tore him a new one." She shook her head. "And now I'm paranoid I'm going to get fucking pregnant. That's the last thing I need. And it's even worse because I haven't been regular for a while now. Not with these potions Axel keeps putting me on." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I should go make sure the girls got everything out of my car." She stood up and left.

"Can we go outside, now?" Adam asked, coming out of his room in his play clothes.

"Yeah, let's go. Joey, we'll be outside waiting!"

"Kay!"

Molly led Adam outside and he started playing in a sandbox.


	18. May 2

AN: Ok, so awhile ago, I decided Ron was going to have an ego trip when his son was born and name him Ronald Hugo Weasley, but the kid goes by Hugo to avoid confusion. Just so you know because I fool around with that later.

May 2

"Everyone's coming over tomorrow, remember," Greg said, leaning against the counter. Rose groaned and rested her hand on the small bulge of her stomach.

"Why did we agree to do this again?" she asked, changing the channel on the television.

"Because you love your family."

She groaned. "Is there anything you want to watch, Molly?"

"No." Molly ate another grape. "Not particularly.

Greg sat down next to his wife, wrapping his arm around her and their child.

"Arthur," she said suddenly.

"We can't…"

"And why not?"

"I thought we decided on Patrick."

"You decided on Patrick. We didn't decide on anything."

"Can we please not have this conversation now?"

"Why not?"

"It's been a long day, Rose." His tone lowered significantly. "I need some time. Just to think. To absorb…"

"What's there to absorb?"

"Our son's going to be…"

"To be what? Handicapped?"

"No…"

"That's what you were going to say, though, wasn't it? He's not going to be anything but our son, do you understand?" Rose's voice rose sharply, but she kept it at a low whisper in an effort to keep the boys asleep.

"I know, hon. I know, ok?" He rubbed her arm, calming her. "It's ok. I promise." Rose leaned against him again, watching the muggle sitcom on the television.

"No, Em, we can't use magic," Flora said, her hushed voice carrying down the hallway.

"But the ministry can't track which wand did the spell, so…" Emily's voice said.

"I'm sure my aunt or uncle could tell, though." There was a loud banging noise. "Bloody hell!"

"Hey, watch what you say, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"It's not my fault you're such a clutz."

"Well, it's not mine, either."

The two girls rounded the corner into the sitting room. Flora was wearing short pajama shorts and a loose tee-shirt, while Emily was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a tank top.

"Hey, guys," Flora said, scratching the back of her head. "Greg just said we could get whatever we wanted out of the fridge."

"Go ahead," Greg said. "And please do watch what you say. There're three young boys in this house."

"Yeah, about that….sorry…" Flora shrugged and slipped into the kitchen, Emily trailing after her.

"How can you constantly eat and still be a stick?" Emily asked. Molly could see Emily leaning against the counter while Flora rustled through the fridge. She pulled out stuff to make a sandwich.

"I dunno. You want one?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"You hardly eat anything." Flora pulled out enough bread for two sandwiches and started crafting.

"Cuz if I did, I'd be as big as a whale."

"I doubt that, Em."

Emily hovered over Flora's shoulder, watching her intently. Molly saw her hand occasionally brush against Flora's, sending a blush ravaging Flora's face. Molly grinned. Lily was right, of course. They were definitely dating.

"Something to drink?" Flora asked, pulling out fruit punch.

"I'm fine with water." She lowered her voice. "And so should you."

"It's just fruit punch. It's not like it's fire whiskey."

"That doesn't make it good for you."

"So what? It's just a bit of sugar."

"Just a bit of sugar? There's enough to give you diabetes."

"It's sugar free, all natural, and organic," Rose said over their argument.

Flora stuck her tongue out and poured two glasses. She thrust one in Emily's hand and walked over to the table in the corner, two sandwiches in one hand and a tall glass of punch in the other. They started murmuring to each other.

"You two had better be ready tomorrow morning to help set up for the picnic," Greg said loudly.

"Yes, sir!" Flora said, dramatically giving him a salute before turning back to her sandwiches.

"You should go to bed when you're done with that," he continued, his voice a bit lower at the sudden awareness of his wife's sleeping state.

Flora nodded.

3

"Flora, come on! You're a beater! You should be able to lift your end of the table," Emily said, putting the long table she and Flora were carrying out back on the floor.

"I'm just tired." Flora yawned and stretched her arms, her shirt coming up slightly above the top of her shorts. "It's not my fault you kept me up all night with your snoring."

"First of all, I don't snore. You woke yourself up. Second of all, we both were up all night, so I don't know what you're complaining about if we both got the same amount of sleep."

Flora yawned. Emily groaned loudly and picked up the table again.

"Adam," Molly said, pointing at the boy. "Put on your tee-shirt."

"But I'm in my swimming trunks!" He pointed emphatically to his Tornadoes trunks.

"Yes, but you still need to wear a tee-shirt until you go swimming. As a matter of fact, you may not go swimming."

"And why not?" He put his hands on his hips. "I love swimming so I'll go swimming. Uncle Hue won't not let me swim, will you, Uncle Hue?"

"Mm?" Hugo looked up from his newspaper, his face unshaven and his hands wrapped around a newspaper. "Oh, yes. Of course." He nodded once and pushed his sleeves up his arms. "Can't have Adam not getting wet. That would be quite a matter of national security, wouldn't it?"

"Of course!" Adam threw his hands up.

"Oh, Hugo!" Rose squealed, grinning widely at her brother. Hugo grinned back and walked up to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"I hope I didn't wake you," he said, pulling away.

"When did you get here?"

"Around…six this morning. Luckily I managed not to set the alarms off."

"Did you eat? You're still as skinny as always."

"Yep. Molly fed me up right well."

"Did you put your things in the library?"

"I'm all settled thanks. I had no idea Flora and Emily would be here or I would have put up in Mum's apartment…"

"Nonsense. There's plenty of room here. So long as you don't mind the couch."

"Better than being in the United States for Remembrance Day."

"I'm so glad you're here. Mum's going to have a cow." Rose squeezed him again.

"You didn't tell her?" His face went white.

"No, why?" Rose looked up at him.

"Adam, put on your shirt."

"What color is it?"

"Blue."

"Fine." He snatched it out of Molly's hand and went into his bedroom.

"Ronald, what did you do with my bra?" someone with a distinctly American accent said.

Molly looked toward the stairs, a young woman about twenty five stood at the bottom, dressed in a loose tee-shirt and a pair of Hugo's boxers.

Rose hit Hugo.

"What the fuck?" she shouted. "You couldn't have told me you were bringing home a fucking broad?"

"Rose," Greg said, urgently putting a hand on her and glancing at Joseph playing with a toy broom not too far away.

"I thought it would be a nice surprise that I thought highly enough of a girl to bring her back. Merlin, I didn't think it would be that big of a deal!"

"That big of a deal? That big of a deal, he says! Grandma's going to have a cow! You're going to put mum in St. Mungo's with this one! Look at her! Not even decent. I thought you had better taste than this, Hugo!"

"Excuse me?" The young woman quickly crossed the distance between the stairs and the fuming Rose.

"Oh, Merlin," Molly muttered. "Joseph, why don't you go make sure Adam's ok."

Joseph looked at her blankly for a few seconds before getting up and taking his toy broom into Adam's room.

"He can do better than you. What? Do you think you're special just because you're from America or some garbage like that?"

"How can you make accusations against me when you don't even know me?"

"Does it matter?"

"Does it?"

The two women stood almost nose-to-nose, Rose actually two inches taller, and no one moved.

"You're sleeping with Flora and Emily," Rose said, her words thick with venom.

The American opened her mouth to speak, but Hugo caught her arm and pulled her back, covering her mouth.

"Sam, don't argue. It's not wise when she's pregnant."

"This isn't because I'm pregnant!"

"Rose," Greg put his arm around Rose. "Let's go make sure Flora and Em aren't destroying the tables."

"Yes, please do," Hugo said.

Greg ushered Rose outside.

"You didn't tell me your sister was a lunatic, Ronald." Sam pulled away from him and tucked her auburn hair behind her ear. "I was expecting crazy, but not _hormonal_!"

"She just…got the wrong first impression."

"Ugh. I told you this was a bad idea."

Molly slid a ham into the oven.

"Everything's going to be fine," Hugo said, wrapping his arms around her. "But I do have one thing to ask."

"And what's that?" She sounded bitter.

"Ok, actually it's two."

"What is it, Ronald?"

"Can you…call me Hugo when we're here? Just around my family. I think it might be awkward if you just start calling me Ronald."

"Hugo? You don't look like a Hugo, Ronald."

"It's my middle name. I've told you that…"

"I just don't understand why."

"Just…please?"

"Alright…_Hugo_…what's the other thing?"

"Do whatever my sister asks of you."

"Fucking hell."

He put a finger on her lips.

"There're three young boys in this house and a fourth on the way. Watch your tongue, please, and she won't be unreasonable once she gets to know you better."

"She's not going to like me."

"Yes she is."

"Your mother is going to hate me."

"No she isn't."

"She's Hermione Granger!"

"Weasley. Hermione Weasley, Sam."

"I know!" The woman's eyes widened. Hugo chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you, Sam."

"I love you, too, _Hugo._" She wrapped her arms around him. "And you do know I'm going to someday weasel the story out of you about why you don't like Ronald."

"I'm going to have to live with it so long as you're my girl, won't I?"

"Mhm." She kissed him lightly on the back of his hand, far too short to reach anything else. "So where're my bras?"


	19. May 3

May 3

Molly settled down between Lily and Flora, Flick and Geoff across from her, and Hugo across from Lily.

"So, Hue," Geoff said. "What's the current state of affairs between the U.S. and Germany? I know their magical counterparts had difficulties at the turn of the century, but how are they now?"

"Germany isn't any better than it was at the turn of the century," Sam said from the other side of Hugo.

"Oh, come now," Hugo said, shaking his head. "You know that Germany has at least tried to get along. The U.S. is still stuck in the policies of the nineties."

"Only because Johnson passed the daaaarn laws that said the only way you can repeal a decision of the Wizarding Congress is through an appeal to the People's President. The only way we're going to get there is to get a Speaker that doesn't shy away from the proposition. I mean, we obviously can't do it now. Not with the conflicts still raging in the eastern world. They'll just use us as weapons. We _cannot_ have that happen at all costs. The People's President is a lunatic right winger vying for control of the world's resources. Including us. He's found the iniquities already in some documents where we've stepped in in the past." Sam shook her head. "We have too many internal secrecy issues to worry about combating German egotism."

"German egotism," Hugo snorted. "More like American arrogance."

Sam glared at him. He fell silent.

"So what's the answer?" Geoff said.

"Nothing's changed on the part of the U.S. Germany's tried to get concessions, though. And failed. Because of their bull headed Magical President."

"Thompsons's the best we've had in a long time," Sam argued.

"That doesn't mean he's good. The U.S. Magical Government needs an overhaul if I ever saw one," Hugo commented, idly picking a piece of grass out of his potato salad.

"Shove it, you."

"I'm just saying there are still some kinks that have to be worked out."

"And I'll never have a hand in that, so there." She took a sip of her lemonade.

"That's _not _my fault your government has bogus laws about marrying foreigners! It was your decision to get engaged. You could have just kept quiet when I asked, scratched your ear or something, and told me to wait. Ugh! You always bring that up."

"Wait!" Lily held out a hand to stop Hugo. "You're _engaged_? Where's the ring?"

"You're engaged?" Rose stood up from the other end of the table.

"What?" Hermione, sitting on the other side of Lily, looked like she was going to throttle someone.

"Engaged? Did I say that?" Hugo went red. "I meant…uh…dating, yeah. Dating…"

"Stop it, Ronald. I know you weren't in Gryffindor, but that doesn't mean you have to be a coward. Yes, we're engaged. The ring is upstairs. After Rose flipped out, I decided it would be best to wait. But Ronald, here, decided to ruin it." Sam glared at Hugo. Hugo stared back, open mouthed, almost panicking.

Hermione stood up from the table. Molly watched her, trepid, half expecting her to pull out her wand and curse Sam back across the Atlantic. Slowly, the woman walked around the table, her face emotionless. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around Sam, whispering something only she could hear, tears in her eyes.

Sam looked up at her and stood up, wrapping her arms around her.

"Did I miss something?" Geoff asked.

"Shove it, you," Flick said, jabbing him with her elbow. "It's sweet." Flick grinned and watched the pair of them walk into the house, wiping tears.

"Do I go after them?" Hugo asked. "I don't think they're going to kill each other, but…"

"Eh, leave 'em," Lily said, throwing down another hunk of potato salad. "The worst that happens is that she shows her your baby pictures. You were an ugly little kid."

Hugo's blush deepened.

3

Molly grinned as Flick screamed a high-pitched scream when her marshmallow caught on fire and almost laughed when Geoff took her stick, blew out the fire, and ate the marshmallow. She laughed when Flick proceeded to hit him, take his stick, and eat his marshmallow. Lily sat down next to Molly and stretched out her legs.

"So what's new?" Lily asked, kicking off her shoes.

"Nothing." Molly crossed her arms against the gentle dewy cold of evening. "What about you?"

"Scorpius and I are fighting again," Lily sighed.

"You two are still together?"

"For now. He's being an ass about his work."

"At least he cares about something."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if it's the right something."

"You're just as obsessed with your work."

"I know, I know, but I asked him to come today, and do you know what he said?"

"What?""

"He said, 'I don't know if I have time for your silly familial gatherings.' Silly familial gatherings? Insulting!"

"Yeah. Sounds like…almost like Lorcan."

Lily glanced over at Molly.

"You'll be fine without him, you know," Lily said, putting a hand firmly on Molly's leg. "I promise. You don't need him. He's…he's still seventeen…"

"I noticed."

Lily sighed and watched Flora and Emily flirt, teasing each other with the marshmallows.

"Are you sure those two aren't dating or something?" she pressed.

"They haven't said anything about it," Molly said.

The pair of them slipped off to another part of the yard, alone.

"They're up to no good," Lily muttered, rolling her shoulders.

"Mmm…"

"What is Scorpius Malfoy doing here?" James asked, standing up, his voice cutting across the hum of conversation.

"I was invited by your sister, Potter," Scorpius said casually. He walked up behind Lily and put his hands on her shoulders.

"What are you doing here? You told me you didn't…"

"My silly familial gathering ended early, so I decided to show up at yours. Is that a problem?" He cocked an eyebrow and sat down on the grass in front of her, stretching his legs out towards the fire.

"Aren't you going to get your pants dirty?" Lily said, starting to play with his blond hair.

"Eh. They're black. Drew will get it out."

"You have to stop relying on him, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." He leaned back against her. "And you need to stop pushing yourself. You're never going to…"

"Hush." She slapped him upside the head.

"She's never going to what?" James asked, crossing his arms and looking down at Scorpius.

"OH, she didn't tell you?" Scorpius looked at Lily, a nervous look on his face. "Well…she's on leave."

"Why?" Harry said, standing up behind his son. "I didn't hear of this. What happened? Why wasn't it documented?"

"I documented it through Finnegan."

"You're having a flare again, aren't you?" Ginny said, a frantic look in her eye.

Lily looked like she had been hit in the gut.

"No," Scorpius said softly. "Lily, why didn't you tell them?"

"I have to go." Lily stood up and ran across the yard, Scorpius cursing and following after her.

"What the hell…?" Lucy said, looking to her father. He shrugged.

"FLORA NYMPHADORA WEASLEY LUPIN! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Molly twisted around and saw Victoire, her cheeks red and eyes coal black, hovering over Flora, her hair mussed up and her shirt crooked.

"I'm not doing anything! What're you doing snooping on me?"

"What do you mean what am I doing snooping on you? You shouldn't be _snogging_ at family gatherings!"

"I'm fourteen! You can't tell me what to do anymore! I'm old enough to make my own decisions!"

"You'll be old enough to make your own decisions when you're out of my house!"

"In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been in your house for almost four years!"

"Well that's going to change if this is how you act in front of your family!"

"Oh, great, so begins my life as a nun, huh? Is that how you're honestly going to solve this problem, by locking me up in Italy?"

"Maybe I'll take you out of Hogwarts if this is such an issue for you."

"You can't do that!"

"No?"

"I'm doing just fine floating between Grandma and Lily! I don't need you!"

"Huh. Don't make me laugh, Flora. You have no idea how much you need me!"

"Victoire! Flora!"

The mother-daughter pair stopped and turned to face Fleur. Fleur started ranting in French.

"Molly, want to come check on my mum's brownies?" a familiar voice said. Molly looked over her shoulder and saw Lysander standing there, looking almost exactly like Lorcan except for the fact that Lysander was a skeleton.

"Lysander!" Molly jumped up and hugged him. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Oh, the troop went out of business. Something about the boss getting caught trafficking magical items to the muggle world or some such nonsense."

"Is Lorcan here?" She felt the anger grip her heart.

"Woah, are you mad at him or something?" Lysander started to laugh. "Your tone just totally gave it away."

"Yes, I'm angry with him! He left me for the search of elusive animals!"

Lysander started to laugh and wrapped his arm around Molly.

"Well, in the meantime, let's go get a drink, shall we?"


End file.
